Bugs during earliest stages. How Harmful?

[BelieveInKarma]

Hello,

I awoke a few mornings to some of my recent sprouts haveing being a little eaten by some kind of pest. The leaves are a little mangled but stem growth seems to be continuing as normal. How will this affect the ultimate growth and how could I prevent this from continuing?

thanks

BelieveInKarma Reviewed by BelieveInKarma on 07-09-2006. Bugs during earliest stages. How Harmful? Hello, I awoke a few mornings to some of my recent sprouts haveing being a little eaten by some kind of pest. The leaves are a little mangled but stem growth seems to be continuing as normal. How will this affect the ultimate growth and how could I prevent this from continuing? thanks Rating: 5

[RainyDayWoman]

yeah, bugs are bad. they multiply fast. try to identify them.
how old are your plants and what are you growing in?
indoors or outdoors? do you see any webs or slime?
I use fly strips and an organic vegetable spray.

[Sabrinaleena]

I think it depends on what part of the world you're living in to help figure out what kind of bug. One pest I've had a bit of trouble with this year are earwigs. You know... the long, skinny, ugly bugs with pinchers on their back ends? Some people consider them beneficial insects but they are NOT as they eat young, tender seedlings. Usually they leave just the stem. They feed only at night so they're hard to catch.

One thing you can do that will eradicate them, along with slugs and snails, is spread some diatomaceous earth around the plants. You can find it right next to the slug and snail killer in the gardening section in stores. It's safe for humans and pets, and it's technically not a poison.

Hope you get this sorted out!

[BelieveInKarma]

Started to use neem oil and its definetely helping, within a week most of the seedlings seem to be recovering but they are of course a little setback. Are there any negative side effects that neem can have on plant growth?

thanks