Pansies are among the most popular garden flowers grown today. They are most commonly grown as annuals, producing the best flowers and growth when temperatures are mild in the fall and spring. Although they are relatively trouble-free, there are several problems that can affect them.
Anthracnose: Anthracnose is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum species and causes a browning and blotching of the leaves. Initially, the infected leaves have pale yellow spots with distinct black margins. As the disease progresses, the center of the spots becomes dry and tan and may have a concentric ring pattern. Flower petals of infected plants may be spotted and develop abnormally. Seriously infected plants may die.
Prevention & Treatment: Combat anthracnose by digging up and destroying severely infected plants. Pick off infected leaves as soon as they appear. Reduce disease development by avoiding overhead watering. Apply a thin layer of mulch around plants to help prevent fungal spores from splashing onto leaves from the soil. For serious infections of anthracnose, fungicide sprays containing either chlorothalonil or mancozeb are available for homeowner use. Apply at 7- to 14-day intervals until conditions no longer favor disease development. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these fungicides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Other Leaf Spots: There are many fungi (Alternaria species, Cercospora species, Myrothecium species, and Ramularia species) that can cause unsightly spots on pansy foliage. Leaves may have transparent tan, brown, or black spots. Often these spots may grow together to form larger patches of dead tissue. Reduce leaf spot development by picking off and destroying infected leaves as soon as they appear. Avoid overhead irrigation. Moist leaf surfaces are ideal locations for these fungi to thrive. A layer of mulch will help to prevent the fungi from splashing from the soil onto plants.
Cercospora leaf spot commonly occurs in fall landscape beds. It appears as a dry, brown blotch or an irregular purple lesion, especially during cool weather. For serious infections of Cercospora leaf spot, fungicide sprays containing thiophanate-methyl can be used. Apply at 7- to 14-day intervals until conditions no longer favor disease development. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these fungicides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Black Root Rot: This disease is caused by the fungal organism, Thielaviopsis basicola, which can affect a wide range of ornamental plants. Older plants affected by the disease turn yellow and have small crinkled leaves. Close observation reveals a black discoloration moving up from the tips of the roots. Diagnosis may be difficult without professional help.
Prevention & Treatment: Remove and discard any infected plants. Provide good drainage to plants and avoid overwatering. The disease can be suppressed but not cured, with regular applications of fungicides containing thiophanate-methyl. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these fungicides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Root & Crown Rot: Many fungi (Phytophthora species, Pythium species, Rhizoctonia species, and Fusarium species) live in the soil, which can infect the roots or the base of the plant (crown) at the soil line. Plants may wilt and suddenly die, or the leaves may simply turn yellow. A dark sunken area may be seen on the stem at or near the soil line. Roots may appear rotted. Some plants may survive but remain weak and stunted.
Prevention & Treatment: The fungus thrives in areas with poor drainage and warm soils. Always choose locations that have good drainage for planting. The drainage of existing areas can be improved by using raised beds. Avoid applying too much water since many of these fungi thrive in moist conditions. Always allow the soil to dry between each watering. Promote drying of the soil by not setting plants too close or applying too much mulch around plants. Prevent future infection by always removing and destroying diseased plants.
Fungicides can be effective on a preventative basis only, and repeat applications are required. Fungicides containing potassium salts of phosphorous acid can be applied as a drench in the home landscape and will suppress but not cure infected plants. Apply all chemicals according to directions on the label. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products.
Gray Mold (Botrytis Blight): This disease is caused by a fungus, Botrytis species, which produces a fuzzy, gray coating on the flowers and stems of many plants. When infected flowers are picked, a puff of gray spores can usually be seen. Infected areas of the plant will eventually be soft, slimy, and decayed.
Prevention & Treatment: Reduce disease development by keeping plant surfaces dry, removing aging flower blossoms, and providing good air circulation. Do not overcrowd plants. Fungicide sprays containing chlorothalonil, mancozeb, or copper fungicides are available for serious infections. Repeat every 7- to 14-days when conditions favor disease development. See Table 1 for examples of products containing these fungicides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions. For more information about gray mold and control, please see HGIC 2100 Gray Mold (Botrytis Blight).
Winter pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are a cheerful sight with their colorful blooms brightening up frosty garden beds. But you may notice ragged holes or disappearances of entire flowers. If you’ve wondered “what is eating my winter pansy flowers?”, you likely have some hungry pests feasting on your plants.
I’ve planted pansies for years, so I’m familiar with the usual suspects that go after these cold-hardy blooms. Here’s how to identify what bugs or animals are nibbling your pansies and stop the damage.
Common Pansy Pests
A number of critters find pansies irresistible including
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Aphids – Tiny sap-sucking insects like green peach aphids cluster on stems and undersides of leaves.
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Caterpillars – Plump green, black or brown worms like cutworms chew on leaves and blooms.
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Slugs/Snails – Nocturnal mollusks leave behind slime trails and ragged holes.
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Thrips – Tiny winged pests rasp leaves, causing silver speckling.
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Spider Mites – Barely visible red or yellow dots on leaves, they leave behind webbing.
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Whiteflies – Tiny white winged bugs named for waxy powder on wings, cluster on undersides of leaves.
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Flea Beetles – Tiny hopping black beetles that leave small shot holes in leaves.
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Deer – Larger mammals that can destroy pansies overnight through browsing.
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Rodents – Mice, voles and squirrels nibble on flowers and leaves.
Aphids
Look for clusters of tiny aphids on new growth sucking sap. They secrete sticky honeydew that can grow black sooty mold. Blast off with water, attract beneficial insects, or use insecticidal soap sprays.
Caterpillars
Pick green worms off by hand or spray with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis). Row covers can prevent moths from laying eggs that become caterpillars.
Slugs/Snails
Set beer traps, remove debris they hide under, or sprinkle diatomaceous earth to shred them. Elevate pots off wet ground. Copper tape can deter mollusks.
Thrips
Yellow spots or silver scarring comes from thrips’ rasping damage. Knock them off with blasts of water. Beneficials like minute pirate bugs prey on them.
Spider Mites
Look for fine webs and yellow stippling. Spray insecticidal soap and release predator mites.
Whiteflies
Adults cluster on undersides of leaves, damaging plants with sap feeding. Knock off with water or use insecticidal soap. Yellow sticky traps catch adults.
Flea Beetles
Tiny black beetles leave shot holes. Floating row covers prevent access. Spinosad organic insecticide targets larvae in soil.
Deer
Use fencing, repellents with rotten eggs or soap, and plantings of herbs deer dislike.
Rodents
Clean up fallen debris. Trim back nearby vegetation. Use humane traps and rodent repellents.
Preventing Pansy Pests
Stop pests before they start with these tips:
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Buy clean plants, isolate, and watch for signs of bugs before planting.
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Remove and destroy infested plants or parts.
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Clean up debris mice and slugs hide under.
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Avoid excess moisture that encourages fungal disease and pests.
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Use row covers as a physical barrier early on.
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Fertilize to keep plants vigorous and able to withstand some pest damage.
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Monitor for pests like aphids early before populations explode.
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Rotate pansies to different beds each year to disrupt pest life cycles.
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Enlist beneficial insects as natural predators.
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Apply preventative sprays of horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps before pests arrive.
Controlling Animal Pansy Pests
Larger pests need different tactics:
For deer – High fencing or repellent sprays using rotten eggs, hot pepper, or soap are options. Planting marigolds, daffodils or other deer-resistent plants around pansies can help divert them.
For rodents – Eliminate nearby brush piles or mulch they hide under. Use traps or repellents. Make flower beds less appealing by adding gravel or rocks around plants.
For rabbits – Fence out with chicken wire or hardware cloth sunk into soil. Scare off with predator decoys, reflective pans that spin in wind, or ultrasonic repellents. Protect with fabric row covers.
For squirrels – slippery surfaces around beds deter them from jumping in. Pepper spray repels. Scare with predator decoys or a motion-activated sprinkler.
Protect Pansies from Predators
Pansies light up dull winter days, so keep them thriving with diligent monitoring for pests, prompt removal, and prevention. Take action at the first sign of damage to stop hungry pillagers in their tracks. With multiple critters after their tasty petals and leaves, you may need an integrated pest management plan. But it’s worth the effort to enjoy vibrant blooms all season!
Other Pansy Pest Problems
Snails and slugs can cause serious damage to pansies during the night, especially during damp weather. In the morning, you will notice irregular holes chewed through leaves and petals, as well as slimy trails left behind. You can discourage slugs and snails by removing litter from around the plant. You can also set out slug and snail traps. Western flower thrips cause scarring on flower petals and may cause flower buds to be deformed when they open. Thrips can be controlled with insecticidal spray and the introduction of predators, like the minute pirate bug and green lacewing. Several caterpillars, including cutworm, greenhouse leaftier, omnivorous leaftier, omnivorous looper, and coronis fritillary, are known pansy plant pests. They are best managed by hand picking.
Insects & Other Pests
Aphids: Various aphid species are pests of pansies. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that range in color from tan to pink to green to almost black and in size from 1/16– to ⅜-inch. They feed by piercing plant tissue and sucking plant sap. On pansies, they feed mainly on new leaves and stems. As they feed, they excrete honeydew (a sugary waste material), which drips down onto nearby leaves. The sooty mold fungus grows on the honeydew, resulting in unsightly, dark fungal growth on the pansy foliage.
Control: Several natural enemies, such as ladybird beetles (ladybugs) and lacewings feed on aphids. As much as possible, these predators should be allowed to reduce aphid populations. Planting small-flowered nectar plants, such as Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota) will help attract these beneficial predators.
As a result of their phenomenal ability to reproduce, aphids are very difficult to control with insecticides. Leaving one aphid alive can result in the production of a new colony very quickly. In addition, the use of insecticides kills the beneficial insects that normally keep aphid populations under control. However, if natural predators do not reduce aphid populations sufficiently, the following insecticides are recommended: insecticidal soap, cyfluthrin, permethrin, bifenthrin, lambda cyhalothrin, zeta cypermethrin, malathion, or acephate. See Table 2 for examples of products containing these insecticides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Spider Mites: Two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are also pests of pansies. Mites are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. They tend to be more of a problem during hot, dry periods. Mites are extremely small and can barely be seen without a magnifying lens. They have piercing mouthparts with which they puncture plant tissue and suck plant sap. Early symptoms on pansies are pinprick holes in leaves. These symptoms can be easily overlooked. Over time, tiny tan spots can be seen. Seriously infested leaves turn tan and die. A fine webbing is visible on some leaves.
Prevention & Control: Infestations are less likely to occur when pansies are grown during spring or fall when the weather is cool. When infestations do occur, begin spraying plants with insecticidal soap weekly as needed. Other pesticides labeled for homeowner use against spider mites include tau fluvalinate or bifenthrin. See Table 2 for examples of products containing these miticides. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Slugs & Snails: These pests feed on pansy leaves and blooms at night. In a single night, their feeding can result in large, irregular holes in leaves and flowers. A sign of their presence is the slimy trail of mucus that they leave behind as they move. During the day, they hide under leaf litter, mulch, and flower pots where it is moist. Snails and slugs are mollusks and, thus, are related to clams and oysters. Like all mollusks, they must stay moist all the time to survive.
Control: The first step in discouraging slugs and snails is to remove mulch and leaf litter near plants to reduce the moist conditions necessary for their survival. Slugs and snails can be removed by handpicking. The best time to look for them is a few hours after dark using a flashlight. Slug and snail traps can be made by filling shallow containers with beer and placing each container in a hole in the soil so that the rims are level with the soil surface. These pests are attracted by the yeasty smell and will fall in and drown. Before putting down the traps, water the area to encourage slug and snail activity that night. Alternatively, placing a board on the ground, raised about one inch, is another trap option. It provides a daytime hiding place for these pests that you can then lift to locate and dispose of them.
Protect plants by sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the plants. Diatomaceous earth is very sharp and scratches the skin of these soft-bodied critters, resulting in dehydration and death. It must be reapplied after rain or watering.
Products containing metaldehyde (3 percent) bait can be used to control snails and slugs in the home landscape. However, newer products are available that contain iron phosphate. Iron phosphate will stop feeding by the snails and slugs quickly and is much less harmful to pets, birds, and non-target animals than metaldehyde. Any unconsumed iron phosphate bait adds nutrients (iron and phosphorus) to the soil. Consult the label for information on the rate. See Table 3 for examples of products containing these slug and snail baits. As with all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions.
Short Blooming Period: Pansies grow and flower best in cool conditions when temperatures are below 75 °F. Weather that is too hot will cause pansies to fade and die out. Plant pansies in the cool conditions of fall or early spring and prolong blooming by pinching off the older flowers (deadheading). This prevents the plant from making seeds and encourages more flowers to form. Cutting back the plants by one-third will also stimulate new growth and extend the blooming period.
Spindly Growth: Pansies will produce lanky growth when light levels are too low. They require strong filtered light and flower best in full sun during cool weather.
Warty Growths on Stems: Pansy stems and flower stalks may be covered with small, wart-like bumps. This condition is caused by too much water inside of the plant and not by an insect or disease. When a plant gets too much water, the pressure inside the plant builds up, and water ruptures from the stems and leaves. This condition is called oedema. Wet soil combined with cool, cloudy conditions are ideal for this to occur. Prevent this problem by allowing the soil to dry between each watering, and always plant in well-drained soil. Promote drying of the soil by not applying too much mulch around plants and not setting plants too close together.
Nutrient Deficiencies: Pansies grow best with a pH of 5.4 to 5.8 in soil-less mixes for containers and 5.6 to 6.0 for in-ground plantings; therefore, in the typical residential landscape, the beds will probably not need a lime application. The landscape soil should be tested annually to determine both the soil pH and the various nutrient levels.
If the pH is higher than 5.8, then a boron or an iron deficiency may occur. A boron deficiency will stop the growth of the main shoot, and the small developing foliage will remain small and become thickened and cupped. An iron deficiency also may occur if the pH is above 5.8, and the symptom is interveinal chlorosis of the leaves, which is yellowing between the leaf veins. This will occur primarily on the youngest leaves. To correct for both a boron and iron deficiency in a landscape bed, apply a micronutrient product, such as Southern Ag Essential Minor Elements, which contains both iron and boron, along with several other micronutrients. Additionally, it will lower the soil pH to help prevent a reoccurrence of these deficiencies. Apply 1 cup per 10 square feet of beds. Always apply this product when the foliage is dry and water the granules into the soil. Additionally, the use of a small amount of leaf compost mixed into the soil (10% by volume) will provide the boron that plants require.
A magnesium deficiency may occur if the landscape soil pH drops below 5.4 or if there is a high level of calcium in the soil, such as with the excessive use of leaf compost or mushroom compost. The symptom of a magnesium deficiency is interveinal chlorosis of the fully expanded younger leaves, but not of the developing foliage that is still becoming larger. This deficiency can be corrected by the addition of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). Water the plants with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts per gallon of water.
Table 1. Control of Pansy Diseases
| Active Ingredient | Examples of Brands & Products |
| Chlorothalonil | Bonide Fung-onil Multi-purpose Fungicide Concentrate Bonide Fung-onil Multi-purpose Fungicide Ready to Use Ferti-lome Broad Spectrum Landscape & Garden Fungicide GardenTech Daconil Fungicide Concentrate GardenTech Daconil Fungicide Ready-to-Use Hi-Yield Vegetable, Flower, Fruit And Ornamental Fungicide|Ortho MAX Garden Disease Control Concentrate Southern Ag Liquid Ornamental and Vegetable Flowable Fungicide Tiger Brand Daconil |
| Copper Fungicides | Bonide Captain Jack’s Liquid Copper Fungicide Bonide Captain Jack’s Liquid Copper Fungicide Bonide Copper Fungicide Spray or Dust Ready to Use Camelot O Fungicide/Bactericide Espoma Organic Copper Soap Ready-to-Use Fungicide Monterey Copper Fungicide Garden Spray Liqui-Cop Natural Guard by ferti-lome Copper Soap Fungicide Concentrate Natural Guard by ferti-lome Copper Soap Fungicide Ready to Use Southern Ag Liquid Copper Fungicide |
| Mancozeb | Bonide Mancozeb Flowable with Zinc Concentrate Southern Ag Dithane M-45 |
| Potassium Salts of Phosphorous Acid | Monterey Garden Phos |
| Thiophanate Methyl | Southern Ag Thiomyl Systemic Fungicide |
| 1 RTS = Ready to Spray (a hose-end sprayer) 2 RTU = Ready to Use (a pre-mixed spray bottle) With all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions. | |
Table 2. Control of Pansy Insect Pests & Spider Mites
| Active Ingredient | Examples of Brands & Products |
| Acephate | BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules with 6-9-6 Fertilizer Bonide Systemic Insect Control II |
| Bifenthrin | Hi-Yield Bug Blaster Bifenthrin 2.4 Ready to Spray Hi-Yield Bug Blaster II Bifenthrin 2.4 Ready to Spray Monterey Mite & Insect Control Monterey Mosquito Control Martin’s FLEE Ready to Use Yard Spray Ortho Outdoor Insect Killer Concentrate Ortho Outdoor Insect Killer Ready to Spray Ortho Bug B Gon Insect Killer for Lawns & Gardens Ortho Bug B Gon Insect Killer for Lawns & Gardens1 Ortho BugClear Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes Bifen I/T Talstar P Professional Insecticide Up-Star Gold Insecticide Hi-Yield Vegetable & Ornamental Insect Control Granules Bonide Eight Insect Control Flower & Vegetable Above & Below Soil Insect Granules |
| Cyfluthrin | BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions 24 Hour Lawn Insect Killer Ready-to-Spray BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions Complete Brand Insect Killer for Soil & Turf Ready-to-Spray I BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions Insect Killer for Lawns Ready-to-Spray BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-to-Use |
| Insecticidal Soap3 | Bonide Insecticidal Soap Multi-purpose Insect Control Ready to Use Espoma Organic Insect Soap Multi-Purpose Insect Killer Garden Safe Brand Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer Miracle-Gro Nature’s Care Insecticidal Soap Natria Insecticidal Soap Ready-to-Use Natural Guard by ferti-lome Insecticidal Soap Concentrate Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap Concentrate II Whitney Farms Insecticidal Soap 1 |
| Malathion | Bonide Malathion 50% Insect Control Gordon’s Malathion 50% Spray Hi-Yield 55% Malathion Insect Spray Martin’s Malathion 57% Ortho Max Malathion Insect Spray Concentrate Southern Ag Malathion 50% EC Spectracide Malathion Insect Spray Concentrate Tiger Brand 50% Malathion |
| Lambda or Gamma Cyhalothrin | Bonide Eight Insect Control Garden & Home II Ready to Use Cutter Backyard Bug Control Spray Concentrate Cyzmic CS Controlled Release Insecticide Martin’s Cyonara Lawn & Garden Insect Control Martin’s Cyonara Lawn & Garden Insect Control Ready-to-Spray Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes |
| Permethrin | Bonide Eight Insect Control Vegetable, Fruit, & Flower Concentrate Bonide Eight Yard & Garden Ready to Spray Hi-Yield 38 Plus Turf, Termite & Ornamental Insect Control Hi-Yield Lawn Garden Pet & Farm Insect Control Southern Ag Permetrol Lawn & Garden Insecticide Tiger Brand Super 10 Brand |
| Tau-Fluvalinate | BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions All-in-One Rose and Flower Spray BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Use BioAdvanced Science-Based Solutions 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control I |
| Zeta Cypermethrin | Gordon’s Bug-No-More Lawn & Garden Insect Control Gordon’s Bug-No-More Large Property Insect Control GardenTech Sevin Insect Killer Concentrate GardenTech Sevin Insect Killer Ready-to-Spray |
| 1 RTS = Ready to Spray (a hose-end sprayer) 2 RTU = Ready to Use (a pre-mixed spray bottle) 3 Do not apply insecticidal soaps when the temperature is above 90 °F or to drought-stressed plants. Spray late in the day for best control. With all pesticides, read and follow all label instructions and precautions. | |
Table 3. Control of Slugs & Snails
| Active Ingredient | Examples of Brands & Products |
| Iron Phosphate Baits | Bonide Bug & Slug Killer (contains spinosad) Bonide Slug Magic – Makes Slugs Disappear Garden Safe Brand Slug & Snail Bait Monterey Sluggo – Kills Slugs & Snails Monterey Sluggo Plus (contains spinosad) Natural Guard Brand by ferti-lome Bug, Slug & Snail Bait (contains spinosad) Natural Guard Brand by ferti-lome Slug & Snail Bait Whitney Farms Slug & Snail Killer 1 |
Note: Pollinating insects, such as honey bees and bumblebees, can be adversely affected by the use of pesticides. Avoid the use of spray pesticides (both insecticides and fungicides), as well as soil-applied, systemic insecticides unless absolutely necessary. If spraying is required, always spray late in the evening to reduce the direct impact on pollinating insects. Always employ cultural controls first, then use less toxic alternative sprays for the control of insect pests and diseases. For example, sprays with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem oil extract, spinosad, Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.), or botanical oils can help control many small insect pests and mites that affect garden and landscape plants. Neem oil extract or botanical oil sprays may also reduce plant damage by repelling many insect pests. If soil-applied insecticides are used, make applications immediately after flowering to reduce the amount of insecticide exposure to pollinating insects. For more information, contact the Clemson Home & Garden Information Center.
Pesticides are updated annually. Last updates were done on 10/24 by N. Jordan Franklin.
If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at [email protected] or 1-888-656-9988.
Joey Williamson, PhD, HGIC Horticulture Extension Agent, Clemson University
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.
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Winter Pansy Care : Gardening With Flowers & Succulents
FAQ
What is eating the flowers off my pansies?
pillbugs. See those little buggers down there munching my pansies away? This is what happens when we have mild moist winters.Feb 12, 2013
What animal eats winter pansies?
On the flip side, pansies are also irresistibly delicious to many critters like chipmunks, rabbits, deer. After a long hard winter, browsing animals are also seeking out food sources and need to feed their families. Chipmunks are fast and can eat pansies just like their rabbit and deer friends.
How to protect pansies from being eaten?
- Keep the greenhouse clean. Remove all plant debris from the greenhouse to minimize insect breeding grounds. …
- Reduce plant stress. Avoid overwatering and underwatering pansies. …
- Introduce natural predators. …
- Apply an insecticide.
What eats pansies?
Cutworms and various other types of caterpillars also eat Pansies. Spider mites, Whiteflies, Mealybugs, and Flea beetles also eat Pansies. Slugs and Snails eat Pansies too. Deer, Rats, Mice, Squirrels, and Rabbits eat Pansies too. Pansies are flowering plants derived from Violas. They are grown by many for their beautiful flowers.
What animals eat Pansy flowers?
It’s an unfortunate fact that pansies are eaten by pests and animals alike. Their list of predators is fairly extensive and includes the likes of snails, slugs, mites, aphids, caterpillars, birds, rabbits, and even raccoons. Below, I’ll explore the relationships between these animals and pansy flowers further.
What bugs eat Pansy flowers?
Last but not least, caterpillars are yet another bug that enjoys feasting on pansy flowers. The most common types of caterpillars you’ll find on your pansies are cutworms and omnivorous loopers. Both varieties pose a similar threat to pansies. That is, they feed on their leaves, devouring up the plant’s moisture and, in turn, inhibiting its growth.
Do pansies have pest infestation?
(Bugs Identification+Solution) Pansies are beautiful flowers that come in various colors and make your garden look bright. But you have to give them proper attention to keep your garden colorful for a long time. One of the common problems that can ruin your pansies is pest infestation. Pest infestation is not unusual in plants.
What color are winter pansies?
Winter pansies ( Viola hiemalis ), also known as ice pansies, provide beautiful color in the garden come fall and winter. They come in a range of shades, from blues and purples to reds and pinks, making them a popular choice for gardeners looking to add interest to their garden during colder months.
How to get rid of pests on pansies?
So, in this article, we shall learn how to get rid of pests on pansies. Pesticides, neem oil, and insecticidal soaps are effective ways to eliminate pests on pansies. Dilute the solution as per the instruction on the label and spray your pansies leaves, stems, and flowers to eradicate any possible pests.