Some pests like to eat mint. In this overview you will find out everything about the most important identifying features. Helpful tips for environmentally friendly control in the bed and on the balcony make it unnecessary to use chemicals.
How do you control pests on mint plants?
To combat mint pests such as the mint bear, mint leaf beetle and aphids, you should collect affected leaves and caterpillars, cut back plant parts, use natural insecticides such as soapy water and encourage beneficial insects in the garden.
As pretty as it is greedy – the mint bear
A distinctive butterfly with white, black-dotted wings poses a great danger to all mint species in spring. It's not so much the adult butterflies, but rather their brood that attacks the leaves. From May to the end of July the females lay their eggs on the undersides of the leaves.
The brown hairy caterpillars, up to 40 mm long, feed on the leaves until they pupate. Because they are easy to spot, they are collected early in the morning from July to September. Otherwise they will eat the mint bare.
Mint leaf beetle – identify and combat
They are 8-10 mm small and shimmer metallic blue. The mint leaf beetles are after the essential oils. In summer, the pests eat numerous holes in the leaves or destroy the leaves completely. This is how you can combat it using natural means:
- collect the beetles consistently
- if the infestation pressure is high, cut all shoots back to the ground
- Be sure to catch any pests that have fallen to the ground to prevent re-infestation
Classic soapy water has proven to be an environmentally friendly insecticide in the fight against mint leaf beetles. Add 15 ml of liquid core soap (€9.00 on Amazon) to 1 liter of water and fill the mixture into a pressure sprayer. Applied every 2 to 3 days, you will soon have the plague under control.
How to deal effectively with aphids
They spread explosively and suck the life out of the lovingly cared for mint. Aphids are considered the ultimate pest in the herb garden. This is how you get rid of the pests:
- spray the lice off with as hard a jet of water as possible
- Treat infected mints with nettle broth, tobacco broth or soapy water
If the infestation is advanced, cut the plant back radically. Vigorous mints sprout again quickly.
Tips & Tricks
Beneficial insects like to settle in the natural garden and provide you with support in the fight against diseases and pests on mint. Bird houses and insect hotels are quickly inhabited by the busy helpers. Mixed hedges and piles of leaves serve as sought-after retreats. As a thank you, birds, hedgehogs, parasitic wasps and ladybirds eat fungal spores and aphids in large quantities.