Name that Pest
I am a small, soft-bodied insect that often clusters around new plant growth.
What is an aphid?
A plant has curling leaves, distorted new growth, and honeydew. Which pest should you investigate first?
What are aphids?
Where are aphids commonly found on a plant?
Clustered around new growth.
Regularly inspecting plants and using sticky traps is an example of what pest-management approach?
What is monitoring?
How many common greenhouse pests did we review today?
Six
I am a small white insect that flies when a plant is disturbed and am commonly found underneath leaves.
What is a whitefly?
You notice yellow stippling and discoloration on the leaves. Which pest could be responsible?
What are spider mites?
Where should you look on a plant when searching for whiteflies?
Underneath the leaves.
Maintaining greenhouse sanitation is an example of what type of pest management?
What is cultural control?
Name two of the six greenhouse pests we reviewed today.
Any two of: aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, or fungus gnats. PDS lesson plan 2
I am extremely small and may leave fine webbing on plants.
What is a spider mite?
Flowers and leaves have silvery scarring and distorted growth. Which pest could be responsible?
What are thrips?
What evidence besides the pest itself can help you identify spider mites?
Fine webbing.
Using appropriate natural enemies to help control a pest is known as what?
What is biological control?
Which three pests from our lesson can produce honeydew?
Aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs.
I am a small, slender insect often found hiding in flowers.
What are thrips?
A plant has yellowing leaves and honeydew. You also notice small white insects underneath the leaves. What pest is causing the damage?
What are whiteflies?
What physical appearance makes mealybugs different from the other pests we reviewed?
They have a white, cotton-like appearance.
Using a registered product when necessary and following its label instructions is what type of pest management?
What is chemical control?
Put these steps in the best order: select a management strategy, observe plant symptoms, identify the pest.
Observe plant symptoms → identify the pest → select a management strategy.
I am a small, dark flying insect commonly found around moist growing media.
What is a fungus gnat?
Young seedlings are struggling and have possible root damage. Small dark insects are flying around the moist growing media. What pest should you investigate?
What are fungus gnats?
You find a small flying pest in the greenhouse. What characteristic could help you distinguish a fungus gnat from a whitefly?
Fungus gnats are small and dark and are commonly found around moist growing media, while whiteflies are white and commonly found underneath leaves.
Why might a greenhouse manager combine monitoring, cultural, biological, and chemical strategies instead of relying on only one?
Because multiple strategies can be combined to more effectively manage a pest problem.
Why shouldn't you identify a greenhouse pest based only on the damage you see on the plant?
Different pests can cause similar damage, so you should look for additional evidence and pest characteristics before confirming the identification. This reinforces the point already included in your lesson.