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Leafhoppers

Close up of leafhopper damage on potato leaf

Leafhoppers seem to be the bain of my existence…well, not really – but they sure complicate my veggie gardening. They would only be mildly annoying, if it weren’t for the diseases they spread. Physical Description very small insects, ranging from 1/12 – 1/8 inches long (2-3 mm). They are wedge-shaped, with narrow bodies that are […]

Curly Top Virus

Curly Top is an insect-vectored viral disease spread by beet leafhoppers, which affects many plants. The beet leafhopper loves warm and dry weather, so that’s when infections are most severe. Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: Plants Affected beet family crops: beets, spinach, swiss chard tomato family crops: tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, […]

Spider Mite

cause yellow stippling on leaves; look closely at leaves for small dark specks and webbing on leaf undersides. (VGPS) under cover, peppers can suffer from bad infestations of Red Spider Mite. (GV) Big-Eyed Bugs (Geocoris spp of the Lygaeid family) love to eat many pests, such as flea beetles, spider mites, insect eggs and small caterpillars. […]