sunflower insect pests

Insect pest management in sunflowers

False wireworms.
True wireworms.
Cutworms.
Black scarab beetles.
Thrips.
Wingless cockroaches.
Black field earwigs.
Field crickets.

What insect is eating my sunflowers?

The most common sunflower pests include the following: Sunflower Beetles – Sunflower beetles typically feed on the leaf foliage and in small numbers or older plants may seldom hurt the plants. However, on younger sunflower plants, the first true leaves can be severely damaged or completely consumed.

How do I keep bugs from eating my sunflowers?

Managing So Many Pests

If you're just growing a few sunflowers in the backyard garden, though, you don't have to be so thorough. If you spot insects, you can often pick them off, or when that isn't practical, you can spray them with a solution of dish soap and water or with a garden-friendly insecticidal soap.

How do you kill sunflower beetles?

Management: Sunflower beetle damage has been largely eliminated by insecticide seed treatments with Cruiser® and Idol®. Most insecticides labeled for sunflower insects include the sunflower beetle and are very effective.

What is eating my sunflower heads?

Mature sunflowers are most vulnerable to predation from squirrels when the seeds are ready for harvest. This is because squirrels will often attempt to eat the seeds. The sunflower's head will become brown and dry and appear to be wilting off the stem. The leaves turn yellow and begin to fall off the stem.

Do sunflowers repel insects?

Marigolds – The marigold is probably the most well-known plant for repelling insects. ... Sunflowers – I use sunflowers as a way to draw aphids away from my other plants. Ants move their colonies onto sunflowers.

What to spray on sunflowers for bugs?

A spray made with one part ammonia and seven parts water also helps to get rid sunflowers of bugs.

What can I use to stop bugs from eating my plants?

Insects Bugging Your Plants? Try These 10 Natural Insecticides

Soapy water. Mix 5 tablespoons of dish soap with 4 cups of water in a bottle and spray plants with the solution. ...
Neem oil spray. ...
Pyrethrum spray. ...
Beer. ...
Garlic. ...
Pepper spray. ...
Herbal water spray. ...
Alcohol spray.

How do you protect sunflower seedlings from pests?

Insect Pest Protection

Spraying broccoli and sunflower plants with water from a hose can be effective in getting rid of aphids. A collar of aluminum foil placed around young plants can keep cutworms from reaching vulnerable stems.

Why are ants all over my sunflowers?

Ants are attracted to aphids because of a sticky, sweet substance they produce when feeding, called honeydew. ... Because of this, ants protect aphid colonies ferociously, warding off pests and parasites, as well as helping the immobile aphids multiply by spreading them out on infested sunflowers.

Do rabbits eat sunflower plants?

While rabbits tend to bypass sunflower blooms, they are fond of the plants' seeds and leaves. Some gardeners are able to grow sunflowers by sprinkling blood meal, human hair, cow manure, fox urine or other repellants in the garden, or by planting a border of other rabbit-resistant plants around them.

How do you kill aphids on sunflowers?

Make a homemade insecticidal soap, a low-toxicity bug control solution that will desiccate the soft bodies and kill the aphids without doing harm to your plants. Simply mix a few teaspoons of liquid dish soap with one quart of water, then spray or wipe the solution onto the leaves, stems, and buds of the plant.

How do I protect my sunflowers from wind?

Another way to prevent a sunflower from falling over is to create a mound around the base of the plant. Mounding is done by putting topsoil or composted manure around the sunflower. This secures the roots and helps prevent the sunflower from uprooting in strong winds.

Are ants bad for sunflowers?

Ants won't hurt flowers. They may be "herding" aphids so they can eat their honeydew, but the aphids are the unwanted bug, not the ants. Check for soft-bodied insects on the underside of leaves or petals. Damage will be apparent.

How do I keep sunflowers alive in my garden?

5 Tips On How To Keep Sunflowers Alive And Fresh!

Water thoroughly a few hours before picking. Sunflowers grow very tall and need a lot of water to survive. ...
Pick in the early morning. ...
Cut stems at an angle. ...
Put stems in water immediately after picking. ...
Change the water every day.

How do you protect sunflower seedlings?

Protect: Birds steeling your seeds? Spread netting until they're germinated. And to protect them against slugs and snails, it might be worth cutting the top off a plastic bottle and placing it over your seedlings to shield them. To support them throughout, place a cane next to the stem and tie together for support.

Do squirrels eat sunflower seed?

Squirrels, love them or hate them

Some people don't mind squirrels sharing the bird feeders, but others are strongly opposed. ... Squirrels love black oil sunflower seeds, so if you don't want them in your yard, avoid blends with sunflower seeds.

How do you kill sunflower moths?

A basic dish soap and water insecticidal spray is helpful for killing sunflower moths and keeping them away from your plants. Simply mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of any type of dish soap with 1 quart of water. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle, and spray directly on to your sunflowers.

Does Rosemary keep bugs away?

Garden Design adds, “Rosemary is an herb that many of us are very familiar with and their woody scent is exactly what keeps mosquitoes as well as cabbage moths and carrot flies away.” Lastly, rosemary and thyme are easy-to-grow container herbs. Plus, you can use these when you're cooking at home.

What pests do marigolds keep away?

The marigold is one of the most well-known insect-repelling plants and with good reason — they have a scent that will keep pests like mosquitoes, nematodes like cabbage worms, and other pests away. Plant marigolds to attract beneficial insects that attack and kill aphids.

What can I plant with cabbage to keep bugs away?

Companion Planting

One way of minimizing the number of pests in your cabbage patch is to plant the cabbage with companion plants. Hyssop, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme and southernwood all help repel the moths and butterflies that lay the larvae that eat the cabbage.