Santa Rosa Pest Control Problems | How to Get Rid of Aphids, Slugs, and Snails

How to get rid of aphids, slugs, and snails from your fruit and vegetable gardens?

Here we are, the number one pest control Santa Rosa professional, Santa Rosa Exterminators, is here with some more tips and tricks for the homeowner. If you are anything like me, you have fruit trees and vegetable plants in your backyard and the fruit and veggies are just about ready to be picked. Yesterday I went out to examine my strawberries, zucchinis, and snap peas, and low and behold I see snail tracks and aphids clustered on the stems of my strawberry plants. Sadly, some of the fruit and vegetables were too damaged to be salvaged, and needed to be thrown away. You are probably wondering why does the owner of a pest control company have problems with pests? Shouldn’t he be the first person to know and understand how these insects work and what they go after? Well, silly me, I got too wrapped up with my two young children and the day to day activities of work that I neglected my plants in my yard. These issues could have been easily been prevented had I took the necessary steps to protect my plants right away. Now, I have to work harder to get rid of these pests and at the same time lose a little bit of my harvest, which does not make me a happy guy. Sadly, I’ve learned this lesson before and my hope is that you, the reader, will get the opportunity to read this article and be proactive with your gardens so that you do not have the same issues I have. So continue reading on and see how you can get rid of aphids, slugs, and snails.

If you don’t know what aphids are they are small, almost translucent insects that feed on plant juices, like tiny little vampires. They are a very common Santa Rosa pest control problem. They attack the entirety of the plant and reproduce rapidly. I found the majority of these insects all up and down the stems of my strawberry plants. They were everywhere!  Before you know it, like me, you can have a serious aphid problem on your hands. Make sure when you are examining your plants that you look at the new growth because that’s what they like the most; and check beneath leaves as well. When I see aphids I take a spray bottle and fill it with water and a tiny bit of dish soap. I then spray the plants from the stem up. Spray your plants once a day for a total of about 2 weeks.  It will take about 2 weeks  in my experience to rid your plants of the aphids using this method. Neem oil and triple action are also effective.

Now let’s talk about our little friends, slugs and snails, another very common Santa Rosa pest control problem. I don’t think I need to describe what they look like other than some have shells, some do not, and some are a delicacy in France, called escargot. They like the dark and for the most part you will not see them during the day. But you will see the famous, shiny slime trail they leave behind, which is a clear sign you have a slug and snail problem. They are not preferential with what they eat; they eat it all, but for the most part their wreckage can be identified by large holes in the leaves. The only solution for slugs is to purchase a slug repellent, and sprinkle it around the perimeter of the area you want to protect. Or, I guess you could stay out all night and wait for them to arrive, but I don’t think that is how you want to spend your time.

I hope that you find this information helpful and also that you are able to save your fruits and veggies from these insects. If you have any questions or would like a pest control Santa Rosa pro to visit your home for a related or unrelated issue, give Santa Rosa Exterminators a call at 707-755-7070.