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are born pregnant. Females will either create daughter clones that produce both male and female offspring, leading to sexual reproduction and eventually egg deposition, or female aphids will simply create live birth clones of themselves without the help from males. Female clones can survive the winter and continue the cycle by creating more clones.

Aphids are commonly found in colony clusters on new growth, base of buds, and on the underside of leaves. Feeding occurs through rasping mouth parts that drain essential nutrient and glucose from the phloem. As a result, leaves of plants infested with aphids often look shriveled, discolored, or stunted. Aphids excrete a substance called honeydew, a sugar-rich, sticky liquid that attracts ants. The ants protect aphids from predators.

Luckily, ladybird beetles (ladybugs) are natural aphid predators. Other treatment options include avoiding high nitrogen levels, physically removing aphids with a strong spray of water, applying a soap-water solution to plants, and applying of neem oil (Flint 2013).

Caterpillars: Caterpillars, the larval stage of butterflies and moths, can demolish leafy crops within a short window (Figure 19b). Their voracious eating habits make them one of the most significant agriculture pests. Adults feed on pollen nectar and are not a danger to plants; however, if you see adults, you likely have caterpillars as well. A caterpillar causes leaf damage that appears as holes or large missing section. Frass, or fecal deposits, appear as small brown/black pellets and are present near damaged tissue.

Common pests include cabbage looper and cabbage worms (Figure 19c) on Brassica sp., cutworms (Figure 19d), diamondback moths (Figure 19e), hornworms (Figure 19f), beet armyworm (Figure 19g), and inchworms (Figure 19h).