It’s the spooky time of the year again! Kids and adults alike love the essence of Halloween because of its tricks and treats. After all, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a marathon of scary movies while munching cookies and chocolates? One of the traditional methods of celebrating Halloween is to carve jack o’ lanterns and light it up at night.
Speaking of jack o’ lanterns, this season is also a time of the year where pumpkins are full of growth and are harvested. If you are growing pumpkins, you know that some pests exist that will threaten their overall quality. Interested to know how to keep pests away? Read more below…
Common Pests Attracted to Pumpkins and How to Eradicate Them
Snails and Slugs
For these critters, the flesh of a young pumpkin is like a gold mine of food. Because a young pumpkin’s skin is soft, snails and slugs can quickly eat it. To prevent these critters from eating pumpkin flesh, put a ring of salt or sand around the pumpkin.
Squash Bugs
These bugs destroy leaves and stems that can lead to a pumpkin’s unhealthy growth. The most effective method of eradicating squash bugs is to find a pesticide that will not destroy your pumpkins.
Beetles
One of the most common pests that can threaten your pumpkin, beetles, can be eradicated by spraying mild insecticide.
Aphids
Do you grow pumpkin as a market produce? If you do, you need to be watchful for aphids. When in large numbers, aphids can spread diseases that will reduce the overall quality of your pumpkins. One telltale of aphids on your pumpkin plants is yellow stains on the leaves and a sticky substance called honeydew.
As you welcome Halloween for a whole lot of jump-scares and a different kind of spook, don’t let these bugs scare you from having a healthy and bountiful harvest. Take preventive measures and enjoy a bowl of warm pumpkin soup. And what better way to do that than to get your property inspected by the best pest control experts in the area? Contact us at Picton Pest Control today! Happy Halloween!
