Pests & Diseases

Greenhouse Pests 101

What types of visitors can you expect? Some of the most common greenhouse pests are aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.

In the early stages of infestation, your students can handpick and squash problem pests. For larger infestations, you might try a diluted solution of insecticidal soap sprayed on the entire plant, especially leaf undersides. You can purchase these commercially or use mild dish liquids or soaps like Ivory Liquid (3 to 6 tablespoons per gallon of water). If you have a bad infestation, spray every 3 to 5 days, first testing the solution on a small portion of a leaf. While soap sprays can be effective with a range of pests, they can also harm the good ones, so use them judiciously.

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