Australian veg garden pests
Every bug, disease and hungry possum that ever targeted an Aussie veg patch. 34 pests covered, each one cross-checked with government extension sources.
We track the weather and the peak seasons so we can tell you which pests are on the rise right now, for your zone.
Currently active — Apr in southern/eastern Australia
These 25 pests are in their peak season right now. Log in and set your postcode to see live pest pressure tailored to your location.
How to use this library
- Search and filter to find the pest you suspect.
- Each page covers identification, life cycle, weather triggers, organic and chemical control, prevention, and sources.
- Peak months use the southern hemisphere calendar — current month is Apr.
- Every recommendation is cross-checked against Australian government extension services (QDAF, NSW DPI, Ag Victoria, PIRSA).
- Photo-based pest ID is live for Pro subscribers — upload a photo on My Garden.
Queensland Fruit Fly
Bactrocera tryoni
Australia's most damaging horticultural pest. Attacks a huge range of fruiting vegetables and tree fruits across the eastern seaboard.
Cabbage White Butterfly
Pieris rapae
The white butterfly whose green caterpillars chew through brassicas, often skeletonising leaves within days.
Green Vegetable Bug
Nezara viridula
A shield-shaped green stink bug that sucks sap from pods, beans and tomatoes, leaving hard white spots and deformed fruit.
Aphids (Green Peach, Cabbage, Cotton)
Myzus persicae; Brevicoryne brassicae; Aphis gossypii
Soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that cluster on shoots and leaf undersides. They transmit many plant viruses.
Whitefly (Silverleaf and Greenhouse)
Bemisia tabaci; Trialeurodes vaporariorum
Tiny white-winged sap-suckers that swarm up in clouds when foliage is disturbed. Transmit serious viruses.
Thrips (Onion, Tomato, Western Flower)
Thrips tabaci; Frankliniella schultzei; Frankliniella occidentalis
Tiny slender insects that rasp and suck plant cells, leaving silver streaks on leaves. Several species transmit tomato spotted wilt virus.
Tomato-Potato Psyllid
Bactericera cockerelli
Small sap-sucking insect now established in Western Australia. Vectors the bacterial disease Zebra Chip of potatoes.
Cutworms
Agrotis infusa; Agrotis munda; Agrotis ipsilon
Fat soil-dwelling caterpillars that chew through seedling stems at ground level, often overnight.
Corn Earworm / Tomato Grub (Heliothis)
Helicoverpa armigera; Helicoverpa punctigera
Native caterpillars that bore into tomatoes, sweet corn cobs, capsicums and beans. Major pest of fruiting vegetables.
Two-spotted Spider Mite
Tetranychus urticae
Microscopic sap-suckers that flourish in hot dry weather, causing leaves to bronze and dehydrate. Fine webbing gives them away.
Diamondback Moth / Cabbage Moth
Plutella xylostella
Small grey-brown moth whose green caterpillars skeletonise brassica leaves. Globally resistant to many insecticides.
Mealybug
Pseudococcus spp.; Planococcus citri
Soft-bodied sap-suckers covered in white waxy fluff. Usually hide in leaf axils, under leaf sheaths and at the crown.
Pumpkin Beetle
Aulacophora hilaris
Bright orange beetle that chews circular holes in cucurbit leaves and flowers. Common in warm coastal gardens.
Spined Citrus Bug
Biprorulus bibax
Native green shield bug with distinctive shoulder spines. Primarily a citrus pest but can appear on tomatoes and capsicums.
Root-knot Nematode
Meloidogyne spp.
Microscopic soil-dwelling worms that form knotty galls on roots, stunting and sometimes killing vegetable plants.
Wireworms
Agrypnus spp.; Heteroderes spp.
Slender yellow-brown larvae of click beetles that bore into root crops, potatoes and germinating seed.
Powdery Mildew
Podosphaera xanthii; Erysiphe cichoracearum; Leveillula taurica
White powdery fungal growth on leaves. Worst on cucurbits, peas and brassicas in warm dry weather with cool nights.
Downy Mildew
Peronospora spp.; Pseudoperonospora cubensis; Bremia lactucae
Yellow patches on upper leaf surface with grey-purple mould on the underside. Favoured by cool wet weather.
Early Blight
Alternaria solani; Alternaria tomatophila
Target-shaped dark brown lesions on tomato and potato leaves, starting on older foliage and working upwards.
Late Blight
Phytophthora infestans
The pathogen behind the Irish potato famine. Water-soaked patches on tomato and potato leaves, collapsing the plant within days in cool wet weather.
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium oxysporum (multiple special forms)
Soil-borne fungus that blocks water-conducting vessels. Plants wilt on one side and progressively yellow and collapse.
Rust (various)
Puccinia spp.; Uromyces spp.
Orange, brown or black powdery pustules on leaf undersides. Common on beans, garlic, leeks and silverbeet.
Damping Off
Pythium spp.; Rhizoctonia solani; Phytophthora spp.
A complex of soil fungi that kill seedlings before or shortly after emergence. Cold wet seed-raising mix is the classic trigger.
Botrytis / Grey Mould
Botrytis cinerea
Fuzzy grey mould on soft fruit and dying flowers. Thrives in humid still conditions. Major problem on strawberries and tomatoes.
Bacterial Wilt
Ralstonia solanacearum
Soil-borne bacterium that rapidly wilts tomatoes, potatoes and capsicums in warm wet soils. No cure once plants show symptoms.
Bacterial Spot
Xanthomonas spp.
Small dark water-soaked leaf spots that expand and merge. Common on tomato, capsicum and brassicas after warm wet weather.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)
Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus
Thrips-transmitted virus that causes bronzing, stunting and fruit distortion on tomatoes, capsicums and lettuce.
Mosaic Viruses (CMV, ToMV, ZYMV)
Cucumber mosaic virus; Tomato mosaic virus; Zucchini yellow mosaic virus
A family of viruses causing mottled, distorted leaves and deformed fruit across tomatoes, cucurbits, beans and peppers.
Common Garden Snail
Cantareus aspersus (syn. Cornu aspersum, Helix aspersa)
Introduced snail with a tan spiral shell. Rasps holes in seedlings and leafy greens, especially on cool wet nights.
Slugs
Deroceras reticulatum; Limax spp.; Milax spp.
Soft-bodied shell-less molluscs that feed at night on seedlings and leafy vegetables. Worst in cool wet gardens.
Possums (Common Brushtail, Ringtail)
Trichosurus vulpecula; Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Native marsupials that browse soft new growth, fruit, flower buds and leafy vegetables at night. Protected species.
Birds (Bowerbirds, Cockatoos, Pigeons)
Ptilonorhynchus violaceus; Cacatua galerita; various
Native birds that raid fruit, peck seedlings and strip seed heads. Most are protected species.
Rats and Mice
Rattus rattus; Rattus norvegicus; Mus musculus
Introduced rodents that gnaw ripe fruit, tubers and seed stores. Also a food safety risk.
Kangaroos and Wallabies
Macropus spp.; Wallabia bicolor
Native macropods that graze leafy greens, seedlings and soft shoots in rural and peri-urban gardens. Protected species.
Live pest risk calendar
Garden Buddy already cross-references current temperature, humidity and rainfall against each pest's triggers and produces a 0–100 risk score for the next 7 days at your postcode. Open My Garden to see the scores matched to the crops you're growing.