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Pests & protection
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43 guidesRodents around gardens and food stores: reduce access and losses
Rodent problems often connect several places: a feed store, rubbish area, chicken enclosure and vegetable bed.
Dassies and food gardens: protect a patch and observe
A garden beside rocky habitat may share its surroundings with dassies, also called rock hyraxes.
Earwigs: useful predators or seedling pests?
Earwigs are recognisable by the pincers at the end of their bodies.
Leafminers: read the damage before treating the garden
A pale winding trail inside a leaf often draws attention before the insect itself is seen. Leafminers feed within leaf tissue, but different insects make mines and not every marked leaf means the crop needs treatment.
Fall armyworm: inspect maize early and compare the evidence
Fall armyworm can injure maize, particularly when larvae feed in the whorl of developing leaves. Early observation helps distinguish a current infestation from old damage and other causes of poor growth.
Bagrada bugs: protect young brassicas and learn from local intercropping
Bagrada hilaris is a small shield bug that can damage brassicas such as cabbage, kale and mustard. Young plants deserve close attention because feeding at the growing point can affect the whole crop.
Keep mosquitoes out of stored garden water
Water saved for a garden should not become a mosquito nursery. The most useful starting point is physical access: remove unnecessary standing water and make necessary storage difficult for mosquitoes to enter.
White grubs: distinguish decomposers from root damage
A pale, curled grub in compost or soil is not enough information to decide whether it is harming a plant. Beetle larvae differ in what they eat, and a useful diagnosis connects the insect with the actual damage.
Cottony cushion scale: inspect citrus before spraying again
White cottony material on citrus deserves a closer look. Cottony cushion scale is one possibility, but identifying the insect and its stage is more useful than repeatedly applying a general spray. This guide helps organise that inspection.
Cutworms: protect newly planted seedlings
A seedling severed near soil level overnight may have been damaged by a cutworm. Confirm the pattern before treating: collapsing stems, chewing animals and mechanical damage need different responses.
Protect mahangu and other grain without clearing useful trees
Bird damage near harvest can threaten household food. The useful response starts with knowing which birds are feeding, when they arrive and where losses occur. Removing every nearby tree can sacrifice shade and habitat without solving the grain problem.
Red insect netting: separate a promising study from a local result
Red netting has attracted attention as a way to reduce insect entry. The promising question is specific: can a particular net keep a particular pest away while preserving enough light and ventilation for the crop?