Delay applying a pesticide and allow the beneficials a chance to control the pest population. Inspecting Plants Examine your plants weekly during the spring, summer and fall. Look at the undersides of a few leaves on each plant and observe the stems for pests. Concentrate your scouting efforts on the plants that are likely to have problems. The use of a 10 to 15 power magnifying glass aids in detecting and identifying insects and related organisms.
Many insects merely rest on the plant and are neither pests nor beneficial.
Learn to determine when a pest is present in damaging numbers and to evaluate the potential of the predator or parasite population. Watch for sooty mold on leaves. Because ants also feed on this honeydew excrement, their presence on plants often indicates an insect infestation. To aid in locating small insects such as thrips or mites, a sheet of white paper or cloth may be held beneath the leaves and the foliage struck sharply. The insects or mites will fall onto the paper and can be more easily observed and identified than on the green foliage.