Every season comes with new garden friends and events, and new garden menaces. We keep our ears to the ground and our eyes open for emerging pests. There are a few animals you should be keeping an eye out for in your garden so you can protect your plants, pollinators and local ecosystem.

Chinese Praying Mantis

Walking through the Pollinator Haven Garden this week I was surprised by a large branch moving on a Lantana as I passed by it. I couldn’t see it at first, but I knew it was there. A six-inch Chinese praying mantis was lurking among the leaves, waiting to catch a butterfly or bee for lunch. I quickly found it and smashed it with my boot. Why would I do this?

Praying mantises are fascinating creatures. They have such exaggerated bodies and intelligent behaviors that we are captivated by them. Their camouflage helps them hide perfectly among foliage and their deadly claws help hold their prey.

Here in the South we have the Carolina mantid, but also the Chinese praying mantis has moved in. While amazing to encounter in the garden, Chinese mantises are incredibly destructive to our local ecosystem. The aggressive Chinese species is capable of reaching large sizes; enough so to potentially eat a hummingbird if they were hungry and fast enough. They have no natural predators, except for us, and can lay many egg cases that can survive our winters.

Telling the difference between our native species and the Chinese species is fairly easy. Our native Carolina mantis is generally smaller; more grey and brown, like bark and lichen; the wings don’t reach to the end of the abdomen; and they have a rectangular faceplate. If you need help identifying which species you have, let us know. Otherwise, if it is the Chinese mantis, please consider dispatching it with your own boot!

Hammerhead Worm

First of all: Do NOT call the Extension Office if you find one of these worms. We know they are here in NC!

Okay, now that that is out of the way: The weather this year has been a story of famine and feast when it comes to the rain. We have heard more interest in hammerhead worms because we are seeing them more as they move around on pots and other dark containers. Like the name says, the head of this bizarre flatworm is like a hammerhead shark. There are several native species and a couple non-native species (NC State has a great guide to the different species you could see in!). You are generally going to encounter these worms when you are turning over dark pots or water troughs. They are incredibly sticky and can congregate in ideal conditions. Be mindful to NOT get the goo on anything that could come in contact with your mouth as they are known to be toxic.

They can be alarming to see and it is okay to use chemicals to control them when you see them. If you would like to kill them, DO NOT cut them into pieces. They will regrow. Instead use salt or another chemical rated for controlling slugs. Just be mindful: these chemicals can also kill earthworms, and if you choose to use salt, this can also be harmful to plants if you use too much!

Peach Tree Borer, Synanthedon exitiosa

Dr. Dennis Werner, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and peach breeder from NC State, posted that he has already seen this unassuming native moth flying around. This signals the egg laying season!

As the name suggests, the peachtree borer is a caterpillar that burrows into the base of peach trees, both edible and ornamental varieties, and pupates in the trunk of the tree. This burrowing can girdle the tree and kill it, if the tree is small enough or there are enough caterpillars at work! Even if the caterpillar damage doesn’t kill the tree, there is also risk for secondary infection from fungal pathogens into the wounds. You know you have peach tree borers if you notice a clump of gooey bark and sap near the base of the tree.

Thankfully there is only one generation a year and it usually emerges in July or August. There are two main control methods. The goal is to stop the female from laying her eggs on the base of the trunk of the trees. If you only have a couple trees you can wrap the base of the tree with aluminum foil in July, making sure the foil fans out over the ground like a shirt around the trunk and up the trunk about a foot. Make sure to remove this in September though! You can also treat the trunk with Bt spray (because it is a true caterpillar), but you have to make sure to time this appropriately. There are pheromone traps available that can help you detect when the adults are flying around, which is your signal to treat!

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Best of luck in your later summer season. It’s a jungle out there, and timing and observation are critical!

Amanda Bratcher is the Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.