Ten Most Common Pests

These pests are often seen Sonoma County

	Codling moth, the infamous “worm” in the apple, is difficult to manage in the home orchard. Soon after hatching, caterpillars bore into apples, pears, or walnuts and feed, leaving reddish-brown droppings (frass). Early-maturing fruit varieties are less likely to suffer damage. Use an integrated pest management (IPM) approach... Read more>
	Cucumber beetles are very common pests in vegetable gardens and may also attack ripening stone fruit. Adult beetles are shiny with black heads, long antennae, and about 1/4 inch long. and may be striped or spotted, depending upon species. Read more>
	Aphids feed on almost every plant, but low to moderate numbers of aphids usually aren’t damaging to gardens or landscape trees. Although aphids can curl leaves and produce sticky honeydew, they rarely kill plants, and can usually be washed off with water. Read more>
	Argentine ants feed on sweets, fresh fruit, and buds of some plants and forage for sweets and oils in homes. Travel rapidly in distinctive trails along sidewalks, up sides of buildings, and along branches of trees. Read more>
	Stink bugs are shield-shaped bugs with a large scutellum or triangle on their backs. Most bugs are brown or green with red, pink, or yellow markings. Read more>
	Spider mites, also called webspinning mites, are the most common mite pests that feed on many fruit trees, vines, berries, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Mites aren’t insects but members of the arachnid class along with spiders and ticks. Read more>
	Snails and slugs emerge from hiding at night and chew holes in leaves and flowers of many succulent garden plants and fruit. Slugs and snails are similar in structure and biology, except slugs lack the snails’ external spiral shell. Read more>
	Olive fruit flies pose a severe economic threat for the state’s commercial olive growers. The larvae (maggots) of the olive fruit fly feed inside the fruit, destroying the pulp and allowing the entry of secondary bacteria and fungi that rot the fruit and degrade the quality of the oil. Read more>
	Earwigs can do serious damage to vegetables and flowers. but they also play a beneficial role by feeding on aphids and other insects. Earwigs feed at night and hide during the day in dark, cool, moist places in the yard or within flowers or vegetables. Read more>
	Spotted wing drosophila is a fruit fly that infests ripening cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. It also has been observed occasionally attacking other soft-flesh fruit such as plums, plumcots, nectarines, and figs. Read more>