Arugula , Eruca genus Vesicaria , is a leafy salad dark-green in the Brassicaceae family that also includes broccoli , kale , cauliflower , kale , and Swiss chard .
It ’s a self - seed annual for zone 3 to 11 that thrives in full Sunday and well - draining soil . You may know arugula as “ rocket ” or “ rucola , ” and appreciate its piquant , peppery tang .
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In ourguide to farm arugulawe discourse all you need to know to cultivate it yourself .
This article zeroes in on recognise and managing 15 coarse garden rocket louse pest .
Here ’s the card :
15 Common Arugula Pests
The best defense against dirt ball pests is cultivating sound plants .
jump with quality seed or seedlings , and avoid under- and overwatering which can interpret your garden rocket vulnerable to flack .
Proactive measures to inhibit plague infestation include :
When you notice pestis betimes , it ’s often possible to head off a full - fuck up infestation by a combining of handpicking them , spray them awaywith the hose , or pinching off private affected leave and discarding them .
However , sometimes there are too many , andtreatment with food - safe insecticidesis the good form of activity .
Note that some treatments may kill good insects , too . Weigh the pro and cons of various methods for addressing pesterer before coating .
In summation to damaging plants by prey , some of these undesirable visitors may bevectors of disease , which multiply their voltage for widespread harm in the garden .
The next insect pest recognize Eruca sativa as a server plant :
1. Aphids
Aphids are sapsuckers that chew foliage and inject plant - toxic saliva as they feed . The resultant role is foliar disfiguration , stunting , evaporation , and lead of gluey “ honeydew ” on the airfoil of the leaf .
They often appear in large colonies that bedim the foliage beneath them .
There are three main species that attack arugula harvest :
The cabbage aphid , Brevicoryne brassicae , is distinguished from other type of aphid by its waxy greyish - ashen finish and two rearward protruding appendage called cornicles that are shorter than most other species .
adult valuate two to two and a one-half millimetre long .
Females produce live young or position eggs on the undersurface of Eruca sativa and other brassica leaves . The eggs are green to yellow and mature to black before dream up . lucre aphid population increase in cool weather condition .
The green peach aphid , Myzus persicae , is xanthous - green with no waxy coating and has the distinctive long cornicles of most aphid species .
Adults measure approximately two millimeter long . female person lay greenish or yellow ball on the barque of fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in thePrunusgenus , and once the youthful nymphs grow their grownup wings , they fly to host plants like arugula to feed .
And the potato aphid , Macrosiphum euphorbiae , is pink or grayish - green and measure two to four millimetre long at adulthood . The first generation hatching from the distinctive yellowness to light-green egg that deepens to black , and sequential generations may be live - born .
One method acting of prevention is to use pondering mulch around your plants to make it hard for aphids to site the rocket salad .
Natural remedies admit :
Neem crude oil is a pronto available naturally - source insect powder made from the seeds of the neem tree , aka Indian lilac , Azadirachta indica .
Captain Jack ’s neem oil from Bonide is safe to utilize on edible plants . It comes in a 32 - ounce ready - to - spraying bottle .
Captain Jack ’s neem rock oil isavailable from Bonide via Amazon . Apply allot to package book of instructions .
Diatomaceous earth is made from crushed fossils and is suitable for consumption on intellectual nourishment crops .
Bonide Diatomaceous Earth
Bonide diatomaceous ground isavailable from Gardener ’s Supply Companyin one - and - a - half - pound shaker jugs .
Learn more about how to apply diatomaceous ground .
See our guidebook for more information oncontrolling and eradicate aphids .
2. Armyworms
The beet armyworm , Spodoptera exigua , and southerly armyworm , Spodoptera eridania , are caterpillars typically find in southerly realm that may be a miscellanea of people of colour , bet upon their stage of development , or “ instar . ”
Pseudaletia unipuncta are the larvae of night - wing owlet moths in the Noctuidae family .
full-grown female moths of both species lay green eggs handle in white , cottony scales .
After hatching , voracious caterpillars consume the tissue paper between the foliage vein , leaving them skeletonized . These pests are prevalent lately in the season , and in warm neighborhood they overwinter in flora dust .
The untested caterpillars are pallid green or yellow with blackish heads . Old ones are green with a yellow stripe and pitch-dark mark on each side near the first genuine branch .
Later instars may be a combination of cat valium and pink with snowy stripes and black battery-acid , and assess up to an column inch and a half long .
rude piranha include beneficial parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant and tachinid flies . weed around your arugula is substantive , as nut and caterpillars commonly migrate from legion weeds , like lamb ’s quarters and pigweed .
OrganicBacillus thuringiensis , normally known as Bt , is a rude pesticide made from soilborne bacterium that is often an effective treatment for an infestation . It is safe for use on comestible craw .
Bonide Captain JackBacillus thuringiensis
Bonide ’s Captain JackBacillus thuringiensiscomes in a 32 - ounce quick - to - spray bottle , available via Amazon .
You canread about Bt and how to use it in our template .
Using pheromone traps to catch adult moth and inhibit mating may also be good .
Scentry bait appeal and capture adult moth by compound a union hormone scent with a awkward trap . This effectively traps the adults and prevent them from reproducing .
Scentry lure
Scentry tempt areavailable from Arbico Organicsin packet hold in five or 10 .
memorise more about controlling armyworms .
3. Cabbage Loopers
The cabbage looper is the larva of a grayish - browned owlet moth , Trichoplusia ni , that lays green to yellowish ball on the undersurface of arugula foliage .
It is a gullible inchworm with a white stripe race down the side of its physical structure , and measures one to one and a half column inch long .
The first sign of hurt may be thin , almost semitransparent areas in the arugula leaves , the Saint Mark of feed from the undersides of the leafage .
If left unchecked , the scathe build to heavy , irregular hole in the foliage , and the consumption of total leaves .
Naturally - sourced treatments let in :
Pyrethrins are naturally - derived insecticides often sourced from chrysanthemums .
PyGanic Gardening is a botanical insecticide that contain natural pyrethrin source from daisy .
PyGanic horticulture
PyGanic Gardeningis uncommitted from Arbico Organicsin eight- , 32- , and 128 - ounce bottles of liquid concentrate to mix with weewee . Apply to the foliation accord to software program instructions .
See ourguide to grapple cabbage loopersfor more selective information .
4. Crickets
Crickets , Acheta domesticus , can be a curse and a blessing . Yes , they may munch on your leafy Green . However , they also rust aphids and weed seeds and excrete waste that fertilizes the garden .
Crickets like dampish sphere and dense maturation . head off overwatering and overcrowd to conquer wet buildup .
Weed the garden regularly to deprive them of habitat .
Heavy plague may justify the usage of food - grade diatomaceous earth .
5. Cutworms
cutworm , like armyworms , are the larva of owlet moths in the Noctuidae family . There are legion species , but it ’s the mordant cutworm , Agrotis ipsilon , that feeds on rocket salad and other brassicas .
What best distinguishes cutworms from armyworms is their alimentation demeanor .
Armyworms commonly feed in groups and skeletonize farewell with their esurient chewing . cutworm feed singly , break up new shoots at the soil grade .
Adult female moth lay snowy eggs in garden rubble and Mary Jane . The eggs darken as they mature .
The caterpillars are gray to black with black brown heads , a idle band on top , and a lighter underside . They incline to curl up into a hundred - human body when touched or agitate .
Natural predator include beneficial syrphid fly ball , parasitic wasps , and beneficial nematode .
Bats and boo are also helpful allies in combat cutworm . count installingbirdhousesandbat housesin your yard to enlist their tending .
Because cutworms can overwinter on dead plant tissue paper , it ’s crucial to clear debris at time of year ’s end and splay crop on a regular basis . Tilling in the natural spring can help bring cutworm to the surface of the soil for predator to give upon .
If you notice them on your arugula , handpick the caterpillar and remove affected foliage .
Naturally - source treatments admit pheromone lures that target adult moths , food - grade diatomaceous earth , and spraying with Bt .
See ourguide to cutworms for more information .
6. Diamondback Moth Caterpillars
The larvae of the diamondback moth , aka cabbage moth , Plutella xylostella , are caterpillars that are tripping green with black heads , random black hairs , and tapered ends .
They quantify approximately nine and a half millimeters long .
The adult moths are chocolate-brown . When the wings are close down , the male person has passably prominent yellow to white diamond shapes on its back . Female colouration is less pronounced .
Pale lily-livered ball hatch on the undersides of the Eruca sativa foliage , then the larvae burrow through the plant tissue paper before emerging as full - grow Caterpillar to feed on top of it .
Signs of damage let in “ windowpaning ” by vernal larvae that chew from below and go away a slender layer of industrial plant tissue paper . Older larvae plug holes in the foliage and raw shoots .
adult wintertime over in brassica debris if it is not removed post - harvest .
This specie is resistant to most pesticide , admit Bt , and may be hard to eradicate .
The best method acting is to handpick Caterpillar and destroy them .
unmortgaged all garden debris at season ’s end and always rotate your brassica crops to forefend this pest .
7. Flea Beetles
The adult crucifer flea mallet , Phyllotreta cruciferae , is a petite , blueish - black or gullible , hard - shelled mallet mensurate two to three mm long .
It has a wont of “ shaft - holing ” or chew rounded holes direct through the leave of your arugula .
The striped flea beetle , P. striolata , mensurate one and a one-half to two and a half millimeter long . It ’s black with yellow stripe .
Female adults lay blanched to yellowish egg on the grime near the al-Qaeda of plant .
Flea beetle are challenge to speak because they course on roots below the open of the grunge in improver to seeable foliage . And unfit of all , they winter over in the land or uncleared plant life debris to return and wreak havoc the following year .
Organic approaches may show effective , such as :
You ’ll find moreinformation on flea beetle in our guide .
8. Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats , Bradysiaspp . andLycoriellaspp . are not only happen on houseplants .
If your vegetable garden is overcrowded , overwatered , and/or there is vegetable debris lie about , your roquette may suffer an infestation .
Tiny vanish insects , fungus gnats are grayish - black with retentive antennae and leg . They measure two and a half millimeters long . However , the adults do no hurt . It ’s the larvae that do the scathe .
The larvae are white with black drumhead and measure five and a half millimeters long . They fee on root and soil detritus . Young rocket plants are especially vulnerable to the root legal injury and stunted growth large populations can cause .
To prevent an irruption , avoid overcrowding and overwatering your crops . To treat an existing infestation , address grownup with sticky traps that help to curb sexual union and egg laying .
Add good nematodes andBacillus thuringiensis israelensis(Bti ) to the grime to attack the larvae . Bti is a character of Bt specially effective on fly ball and mosquito larvae .
The Fungus Gnat Bundle combines all three style of attack : the steamy trap , beneficial nematode worm , and Bti , all in one convenient package .
Arbico Organics Fungus Gnat Control Bundle
The Fungus Gnat Control Bundle isavailable from Arbico Organicsin half- and full - garden sizing .
See ourarticle on how to see fungus gnatsfor more entropy .
9. Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers ( Acrididae family ) , are related to cricket . Their eggs are a mixed bag of colors , from white and white-livered to brown and red .
Adults are browned , atomic number 79 , green , or tan , and have feeler , chewing mouthpart , long leg for length jump , and wings . They quantify one to seven centimeters long .
grasshopper favour red-hot , ironic conditions and lots of weedy ontogenesis for them to inhabit . revealing signs of damage are large , unpredictable holes in arugula foliage .
Deter these ravenous feeders with the garlic - similar odor of neem oil or a garlic barrier .
Garlic Barrier is a natural repellant suitable for edible crops . And although plants absorb it , the gustatory sensation of the leaf is unaltered and they remain safe to eat .
Garlic Barrier
Garlic Barrier isavailable from Arbico Organicsin quart - bottles of concentrate for dilution with water before function .
In the vitrine of a severe infestation , you may want to try on Monterey Garden Insect Spray .
This product is a broad - spectrum , organic pesticide curb spinosad derived fromSaccharopolyspora spinosa , a naturally - occurring soil bacterium toxic to a number of pest , including Caterpillar , crickets , grasshoppers , folio miner , and thrip .
Monterey Garden Insect Spray
Monterey Garden Insect Spray RTU isavailable from Arbico Organicsin 32 - ounce quick - to - spray bottles . Note that it is toxic to bee and aquatic invertebrates .
10. Leaf Miners
Leaf miners are the larva of multiple beetle , fly , and moth species , includingColeoptera , Diptera , Hymenoptera , andLepidoptera . They quite literally “ mine ” plant tissue , feeding on the juices .
The adults of the various species lay white to translucent eggs that hatch out as white to yellow larvae .
They appraise one to seven mm long and sustain themselves by tunneling through the foliage , lead revealing white to tan plot of land and squiggly trails where they have sucked the flora tissue paper juiceless .
If you calculate closely , you may also see the tiny trap that matured larvae make when they chew through the leafage and shine to the flat coat , where they continue the maturation process as pupae .
Because leaf miners wintertime over as pupae ( pre - adults ) , keeping the garden spare of weed and post - harvest plant life debris is essential .
Before implant your arugula , sour the grunge under , breaking up clods and disrupting any pupa living there .
enter bloom companion plants , like dill and yarrow , to attract good louse that feed upon foliage miner larvae , like predatory wasps .
Use yellow or blue sticky traps to attract and capture adult and inhibit reproduction .
Foliar treatments are generally ineffective because the larvae tunnel between the leaf Earth’s surface .
Insecticide products containing broad - spectrum spinosad , advert above , may be effective , if applied just as the larvae are hatching .
Beneficial nematodes ( Steinernema carpocapsaeandS.feltiae ) may address pupa in the stain .
See our pathfinder for moreinformation on address leaf miners .
11. Root-Knot Nematodes
Root - knot nematodes , Meloidogynespp . , are microscopical , parasitic soil - dwellers that feed on roots and destroy plant via strong-arm damage and the diseases that penetrate the wounded root tissue . They are more prevalent in warm weather condition and in southern regions .
Adult female tunnel into the roots of plants , where they lie down eggs . The hatchlings feed on the roots , make them to tumesce with disfiguring rancour .
All of this takes position under the dirt , make it impossible to notice until the damage is so forward-looking that the stirred ancestor can no longer nurture the plant and they begin to give way , tolerate from stunt and wilting .
The only manner to make a specific diagnosing is to labour up your arugula and inspect the roots for scathe . And unless you have a richly - powered microscope , you ’ll never see the culprit .
Proactive measures let in sowing resistive seminal fluid varieties and maintaining healthysoil teeming with good germ .
you’re able to improve your soil by bring beneficial nematode to eat on the parasites .
Another option is to total “ chitin , ” a grunge amendment and lifelike nematicide consist of pulverized crustacean shells .
Neptune ’s Harvest Crab and Lobster Shell
With a nitrogen - morning star - potassium ( N - P - K ) ratio of 5 - 3 - 0 , plus added Ca and atomic number 12 , the whole garden gets a nutritional boost as well as an organic nematicide treatment .
Neptune ’s Harvest Crab and Lobster Shell isavailable from Arbico Organicsin bags containing four , 12 , and 44 pounds .
record more in our guide tomanaging etymon - knot nematode worm .
12. Salt-Marsh Caterpillars
The salt - marsh cat , Estigmene acrea , is prevalent in warm , southern regions . Successive instar get bigger and bigger and achieve lengths of 45 to 55 millimeter .
Adult moths have lily-white wings with fateful muscae volitantes and yellowish wing bottom and venter . Females lie down yellow ball on the undersides of leaves that tone to gray as they mature . hatchling feast as a group , skeletonizing the roquette leaves from below .
Young caterpillar are brown , emollient , chicken , or white . matured specimens are bleak with tufts of black , orangish , and whitened hairsbreadth . At this stage , they feed one by one , cause holes in the foliage rather than defoliating entire leaves .
The hair’s-breadth on their bodies can cause hide pique and rash , so take tending if you observe these in your garden .
Tachinid flies are rude predatory animal of table salt - marsh caterpillars . If you plant redolent flowering umbelliferous plant or plants in the Petroselinum crispum family , like caraway , dill , and fennel , you’re able to draw in them .
Wear gloves to handpickthe pest and destroy egg - encrusted foliage .
Bt may be effective in treating an outbreak .
13. Slugs and Snails
Snails and slug are invertebrates known as univalve . They feast on fresh , tender leaves and moulder leafage , and favor cool , dampish , dark conditions .
In addition to chewing irregular holes in the arugula leaves , they leave telling guck trails .
Deter slugs and snails by space plants per mature dimensions to allow for sizable airflow between them , and take maintenance not to overwater .
You ’ll find a kind of baits , barriers , and repellents on the market .
Dr. Earth Final Stop Snail & Slug Killer Spray is an constitutional product . It ’s food - safe and comprise of the essence oil colour , including cinnamon , Allium sativum , Mentha piperita , rosemary , sesame , and thyme .
Dr. Earth Final Stop Snail & Slug Killer Spray
Dr. Earth Final Stop Snail & Slug Killer Spray isavailable from Arbico Organicsin 24 - snow leopard ready - to - atomiser bottleful .
You ’ll observe moreinformation on punch and snail in our template .
14. Thrips
Thrips are sapsucking worm in the Thysanoptera purchase order . Some are pest that drain foliation of its juices , leading to silvery discoloration , brown scarring , deformity , and stunting .
fly grownup are narrow , grasp in color from translucent white or yellowish to black , and evaluate up to two millimeters long .
The Western blossom thrip , Frankliniella occidentalis , feed in on arugula .
The adult female embeds translucent white testicle in the foliation or stick them on the surface . White or yellow nymphs hatch and feed before dropping onto the soil to pupate before emerging as adults .
As thrips feed , they result a black “ frass ” track on the foliation , another noticeable house of plague .
And when the growing season ends , they easily overwinter in flora debris .
Avoidance measures include :
To treat an plague that is already afoot , install blue muggy traps to catch the adults and inhibit reproductive memory . Blue is more effective at attracting thrips than yellowed yap .
Arbico Organics Blue Insect hole
profane two-fold - sided insect maw areavailable from Arbico Organicsin packages of five , 10 , 25 , 50 , and 100 .
An software of neem fossil oil may avail to deal a full - blow infestation .
And at last , consider planting that pull in pirate bug , lacewing , and ladybugs that prey upon thripid .
Cosmosare prime that attract plagiariser bug and lacewings .
To attract ladybird , flora umbelliferous plant like dill weed and finocchio .
See ourguide to managing thripsfor more entropy .
15. Whiteflies
Whiteflies , from the Aleyrodidae sept , are winged sapsucker that measure one and a half millimeters long .
Symptoms of damage include silver and icteric discoloration , desiccation , wilting , and awkward honeydew on the airfoil of the leafage . When you jostle an infested leaf , grownup flies rise in unison like a ottoman of snowy powder .
The females pose xanthous eggs on the undersides of the leaves . The juveniles and adults infest the bottom of the leave , feeding on the foliage .
Hot weather exacerbate infestations .
A proactive measuring stick to deter whiteflies is to utilise reflective mulch to make it knockout to site your arugula .
The greatest challenge a whitefly infestation affectedness is that there are five spirit stages , and no one - sizing - convulsion - all treatment .
Spraying plants with the hose , slay and discarding affected parting , and using yellow sticky traps may avail reduce whitefly population .
See ourguide to managing whitefliesfor more data .
Arugula Awareness and Action
Sow rocket seeded player every few weeks throughout the develop season to enjoy multiple , abundant crop .
show seed packetsand blank space plants accordingly . Mature rocket salad need 12 to 18 inch of space around it to reach full size . Skimping on space may increase the ambient humidity and create an environment conducive to wet - love pests .
Weed the garden regularly to deter louse further and kick upstairs airflow between plants .
take the air through the garden daily and search for maverick foliage margins , holes , misshapenness , and stain . change state the leaves over and inspect the undersurface .
When you become mindful of pests , take contiguous action .
Handpicking , spray firm with the hose , using float row screen , sticky traps , and pinching off single touched leaves may be all you need to manoeuvre off an plague .
When discussion is necessary , always use food - safe option , like Bt , food for thought - grade diatomaceous terra firma , neem oil , spinosad , and pyrethrins . Read all product recording label for dependable and effective manipulation .
hygienise garden equipment , like tools and shoes , to avoid fan out pests and the disease they may take to other areas of the garden .
And finally , wash off all of the arugula you harvest thoroughly before enjoying at your tabular array .
And formore information about farm arugulain your vegetable spot , have a read of these guides next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . Cartesian product exposure via Arbico Organics , Bonide , Dr. Earth , Gardener ’s Supply Company , Neptune ’s harvest time , and Monterey . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock .
About
Nan Schiller
