Ah, summertime in Alabama; extreme heat, drought and those pesky bugs that eat everything in sight! What more could a homeowner and farmer want? We may not be able to control the weather, but the bugs we can. So, strap on your attack gear and get ready to fight back.

Summer garden pests typically include spider mites, aphids, ants and slugs, just to name a few. Spider mites, also known as little garden vampires, along with the sap-eating aphids, will suck the life right out of your plants. Aphids can also pass diseases from one plant to the next. The good news is both can be easily controlled with a good hose and plant-specific treatment sprays like insecticidal soap.

Slugs can turn your massive green plant into a doily in just a few hours at dawn. Our advantage? These slow-moving garden pests can't run away very fast, so you just have to be ready to catch them early in the morning or at dusk. There are many slug-fighting products available or you can go au naturale and invite toads, spiders and birds to munch on their favorite slug-snack by increasing the diversity of your plants to attract more of these helpers.

A few of the more pesky pests in Alabama include the Fall armyworm and the Japanese beetle. These two invaders can take over in a short amount of time and cause sleepless nights over the damage they do to your lawn, crops and plants. Here's some interesting tips we found on how to control them:

Fall Armyworms
The destructive fall armyworm is the caterpillar life-stage of the moth. It earned the name from its eating habits and can wreak havoc on your grass and crops if left to multiply.

The first signs of fall armyworm damage in your lawn are brown patches that rapidly grow bigger. Not to be confused with grass die-out due to drought conditions, these patches will generally move inward from the edges of your lawn and proceed in a relatively straight path. An increase in birds in your yard, especially clustered in certain areas, can also indicate armyworm infestation. The caterpillars are night feeders and are present in the summer months through September and after extreme drought conditions.

One way to test for an infestation is to plunge a gallon can with both ends removed firmly into the turf and fill it with water mixed with an ounce of dishwashing detergent. If more than five caterpillars float to the surface quickly, it's time to treat.

Fall armyworms are also found in agriculture grass crops, like small grains and corn. They can be seen under plant debris in the field or inside the heads of barley or wheat.

To treat infestations, mow the grass short and water well to flush caterpillars out of the thatch. Spray with the recommended liquid insecticide and do not mow or water for three days after.

Japanese Beetles
If your plant leaves (especially hostas) are lacy or full of holes and you've ruled out slugs or snails, then you may have Japanese beetles. These small (less than 1/2 inch), metallic green and copper pests fly from yard to yard releasing beetle-attracting pheromones and looking for just the right spot. The battle may take some time, but don't fret, the war will be won!

A Japanese beetle's life span begins in your lawn as a grub. The adult female prefers to lay eggs in moist, low-cut turf. The grubs feed on grass roots. If you notice big brown patches of grass and uncover more than eight grubs per square inch, then you can apply a chemical treatment and kill them off before they reach adult stage.

Roses, crape myrtle and fruit trees are just a few of the Japanese beetle hot spots. One way to lower chances for an infestation is to plant their favorite plants away from big expanses of lawn or grow more of their non-favorites, like dogwood, magnolia and rhododendron.

If you still have that "you're not the boss of me" attitude, then here's some ways to fight back:

1) Hand pick the little buggars by dropping them into a bowl of soapy water. Catch them while they're sleepy in the early morning. Place the soapy water below the plant. Reach above them and knock them into the bowl before they fly away. They will, literally, drop and roll into the bowl.
2) Spray the bugs directly with insecticidal soap.
3) Suck them up in a shop vac like dust bunnies under a couch.
4) Make bug juice! In a garage-sale blender, whip up a handful of beetles with a pint of water, strain and spray on your plants. No beetle wants to munch next to the remains of a relative.
5) For the squeamish, blend up two cloves of garlic and hot pepper in a pint of water. Strain and add a drop of dishwashing liquid, vegetable oil, horticulture oil or insecticidal soap. Spray infested plants early in the morning. A commercial garlic spray that deters mosquitoes can save you the work of making your own.
6) Don't forget the good guys--those beneficial garden bugs that can help you in your war. Lady bugs, ground beetles and praying mantises are great to have hanging around your garden, as well as wasps and tachinid flies, to name a few. Just have some nectar-producing flowers, mulch and water to make them feel at home.
7) Neem is a good, natural repellant and beetle-killer.
8) Set out birdbaths, feeders and nesting boxes for birds near the plants under attack to create a beetle buffet for our feathered friends.
9) Use a clay-based insect barrier on fruit trees and garden vines to protect plants from bugs and disease.
10) Beetle traps may catch a lot of beetles, but they only draw more to your yard with the pheromones that are used to draw the beetles to the traps. So, you may want to steer clear of them.

Japanese beetles are most active in temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit and when the air is still. Whether you choose a pesticide or any of the methods above, attack early and often to win the war. Beetle juice anyone?

Regardless of the pests you may go to battle against this summer, Cahaba Tractor is always ready and willing to help. We carry a full line of 55-300 gallon, 3-point hitch spray attachments for your tractor or lawn mower, as well as hand held spot sprayers for smaller jobs. So, get to work and tell those pests to bug off!