Hand Picking Insects
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute
Episode Archive
Episode #383 | Original Air Date: August 18, 2021
Related Resources
Transcript
If insects are causing problems with your plants, develop an integrated pest management strategy.
For large insects like caterpillars or grasshoppers, a good first step is to remove them by hand.
Handle carefully and put on a pair of gloves, pull the insects off the plants, and drop them in a container of soapy water. The soap breaks the surface tension, so the insects will sink to the bottom and drown.
Be sure to check the undersides of leaves or on the stems since pests often hide there.
Hand-picking insects is a great strategy because it causes zero harm to you or the environment. And it won’t cost you a penny!
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute is a production of the University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program, IFAS Extension, and WUFT-FM in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
