Something is eating my plants!
No sooner do I plant out all my plant babies, then the pests begin! Good thing I have a standard arsenal of control products. You can find all kinds of information on these products on the internet, so be sure to read up on them to have a good understanding of how they work. I have linked a good source of information on each heading.
The items below are organic, but even with organic products, you can still harm the bees and other 'good insect guys' in the garden. So you need to apply them carefully! Also -- organic products tend to not be 'residual kill', so you will need to re-apply per directions as needed.
And remember: The insects and bugs we call 'pests' are part of the ecosystem. There are generally natural predators looking for a good meal, so unless you are seeing a lot of damage, you may want to wait and hope for the predators to show up. But I'll admit this can be hard to do when you see your precious plants being eaten!
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is one of the products I use often. It's a white powder that is made up of tiny shards of fossilized diatoms from way back when. These ground-up diatoms are sharp to bugs that crawl over them, slicing their little exoskeletons and causing them to shrivel up and die (sorry bugs, but you started it!). Harmless to plants, animals, and kids, but not good to breathe (very dusty) so wear a mask if you are sensitive. Be sure to get food grade DE, not the kind for swimming pools. Good for dealing with crawling bugs, like aphids, beetles, snails, slugs, etc. Dust lightly over area of concern -- on leaves, or ground around the plants -- but try to avoid flowers where good pollinators might be affected. A little dust goes a long way! You will need to re-apply it after rain.
Insecticidal Soap is literally that -- a soap that penetrates the insect and dries it out. You can buy it pre-mixed, as a concentrate or make your own (there are many recipes on the internet - I personally like to use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap). It works against soft-bodied insects like aphids and scale; best sprayed right on the bugs. One thing to note is that you can make it too strong and it can harm your plants, so be sure to follow directions and especially if using a homemade brew, test it on a single plant before applying it widely. The best time to spray with insecticidal soap is in the early morning or evening when temperatures are cool and plants are shaded, since the spray will stay wet longer and be more effective.
Neem Oil -- Neem Oil comes from the pressed seeds of the Neem tree, native to southeast Asia. You generally buy it as a concentrate and mix with water per directions. Be sure to buy cold-pressed oil, as it has the highest concentration of the active ingredient. Be sure to spray it in the evening, not when the sun is bright, or it can burn your plants. Neem oil works against a wide variety of insects, including aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, thrips, fungus gnats, spider mites and nematodes. Neem oil can also kill fungal diseases like powdery mildew, black spot, scab, anthracnose, and leaf spot. Neem oil is generally safe for beneficial insects that do not feed on the plants’ leaves, like ladybugs, pollinators, and earthworms. Be sure to spray in the early morning or evening when temperatures are cool and plants are shaded, since the spray can burn the plant leaves in the hot sun.
BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) is a harmless bacteria that works against pests. There are actually two kinds that are commonly used. One is against mosquitos (israelensis), but the main one in the garden (kurstaki) works against chewing insects, most notably caterpillars like tomato worms, cabbage loopers, etc. You spray it on, and of course follow directions and repeat after rain as needed.
Plain ol' Water Spray -- Many people blast off pests like aphids with a strong spray of water. If your infestation isn't too bad, it can work!
Netting -- And finally, sometimes you can use netting over the plant to keep away the pests. Of course, be aware if your plants need to be pollinated, this also keeps out the good insects!
Again, be sure to read more about each of these options by clicking on the links!
More Resources
The link below recommends Spinosad and Pyrethin, but I have no personal experience with either. They are organic, but not very selective on what they could kill (watch out for beneficial insects!), and I would only try them if the pests got REALLY bad.
https://www.growveg.com/guides/what-you-need-to-know-before-using-organic-insecticides/