Hello friends! Today I’m going to tell you what I use to protect my hostas from bugs.
⚡QUICK ANSWER: To protect hostas from bugs, you can spray them with neem oil, which is effective against a wide range of pests like aphids, beetles, and caterpillars. Insecticidal soap is another safe option, especially for soft-bodied insects, and it’s gentle on plants.
Boxelder bugs (Red bugs)
Boxelder bugs are large, flat, narrow insects with six legs and red-black bodies.
They usually feed on seeds but can pierce plant tissue to suck juices. Larvae may damage hostas. Leaves won’t show bite marks but can turn discolored or yellow.
Control:
Shake bugs into a bag and discard them while wearing gloves—they can bite. Spray hostas and nearby plants with a boxelder bug pesticide, covering all parts, including petioles.
Leaf beetles (Red Lily Beetles)
Leaf beetles are small, about 7 mm long, with red upper bodies and black lower bodies and legs.
Larvae cause the most damage by feeding on leaves. Females lay eggs on the underside of leaves, so check there first.
Control:
Hand-pick and destroy adults. Crush any eggs you find under leaves. Spray with a systemic insecticide and repeat after a few weeks. Neem oil can also help.
Read also: Can Neem Oil Be Used On Hostas?
Scale
Scale insects are small, with hard shells ranging from light gray to brown.
They attach to leaves or stems and suck sap using a sharp proboscis. Females lay eggs beneath their shells, then die. Young emerge the following year.
Control:
Remove heavily infested leaves and throw them away. If only a few, scrape insects off by hand. Spray leaves with horticultural oil to kill migrating young. Repeat every 2–3 weeks during the season.
Leaf Cutter Bees
Leaf cutter bees look like common bees with yellow and black, elongated bodies and six legs.
They are great pollinators but damage ornamental plants, including hostas. Females cut neat circles from leaf edges to build nests for their larvae.
Control:
Sprays like neem oil or pesticides won’t work because they don’t eat the leaves. Find and destroy their nests, usually near the damaged plants, to temporarily remove them.
Mealybugs (White bugs)
Mealybugs are small, white insects with oval, flat bodies. They leave behind a white, flour-like residue.
They suck sap from leaves and stems, stunting hosta growth. Their secretions can also lead to black fungus growth.
Control:
Release ladybugs to naturally control mealybugs. For faster results, spray hostas with neem oil or insecticidal soap, repeating several times.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are large, fast-moving insects that jump from place to place.
They feed on plants, and even one can noticeably damage leaves. In large numbers, they can severely harm hostas and other plants.
Control:
Regular insecticides, oils, and soaps don’t work. Use baits with carbaryl, which effectively kills even large grasshoppers and is safe for the environment.
Wooly Aphids (White fuzzy bugs)
Woody aphids are tiny insects covered in white fuzz, making them easy to spot.
They have wings and form dense, white clusters on young branches. They suck sap and leave sticky secretions that later turn black.
Control:
Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Hand-pick and destroy bugs, and remove heavily infested leaves.
Aphids
Aphids are common pests that attack many plants, including hostas.
They usually gather on flower stalks but can also be found on leaves and petioles. By sucking sap, they cause discoloration or yellowing. Their secretions can lead to fungus growth on lower leaves.
Control:
Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap every two weeks. You can also rinse them off with a hose, though this is only a temporary fix.
Pillbugs (Sowbugs)
Pillbugs are small, pill-shaped bugs about half an inch long, usually dark gray or brown.
They mainly feed on rotting vegetation but can harm ornamental plants in large numbers. They are active at night and hide during the day.
Control:
Remove decaying plant debris and keep the soil surface dry between waterings. For quick control, spray hostas with carbaryl and repeat after two weeks.
Black vine weevil (Black bugs)
Weevils are large beetles, about an inch long, usually black but sometimes other colors.
Larvae feed on plant roots, while adults eat leaves. In large numbers, they can cause serious damage to hostas.
Control:
Neem oil and eco-friendly methods don’t work well. Spray leaves and petioles with a systemic insecticide and drench the soil to kill larvae in the root zone.
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how do I know what bug is eating my hostas. I don’t see any insects, but my hosta leaves have tiny holes all over them.
Hi Keiko. It can be either night insects or small snails. Use pesticide or neem oil against insects together with iron phosphate against snails.