As insects feed on above-ground and below-ground plant parts, they inflict damage upon them, both directly and indirectly. Direct damage consists of the physical act of eating and removing pieces or parts of the plant, which will have detrimental ad sometimes irreversible implications on a plant’s health. Indirect damage is associated with disease and other pathogens like bacteria these insects may carry and spread. The type and severity of feeding damage depend on the type of insect and its anatomy, namely the mechanisms they use for feeding: chewing, tunneling, sucking, and scraping.
Feeding damage by insects
Signs of damage
Different types of anatomy lead to different damage:
1. Chewing damage. This can present as holes or notches, the removal of tissue causing the leaves to display their skeleton, cutting plants off near the soil, or consumption of roots.
2. Tunneling. It kills or deforms stems or weakens leaves by creating tunnels between the upper surface and the lower surface.
3. Sucking. Removes the sap from plants and causes spotting, leaf curling, and misshapen fruits.
4. Scraping. Insects will scrape the surface of leaves and flower parts, removing important cellular structures and mining the plant’s ability to carry on with photosynthesis and other methods of nutrient absorption.
How to prevent
Preventing techniques will vary according to the insect that is plaguing your garden. It is always advised to isolate plants that might be recovering from insect damage.
Some homemade solutions rely on the fact that insects are usually drawn away from strong scents like cinnamon or clove and the use of these either via fragrance or thin layers in the soil around the plants.
Heal
If the damage is not too severe, plants can survive and recover by removing the damaged pieces from the plant and being alert to any preserving symptoms.
Insecticides can get rid of the bugs but might have some effects on your plants. To do this effectively, the plants should be first sprayed with water, followed by the insecticidal substance, and this procedure should be repeated until the infestation is completely gone.
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