Shea Simmons
Even if you have the world’s greenest thumb, there are some things you just can’t prevent in your garden: pests. From squirrels to mealybugs, you can combat these creatures, but preventing them altogether is a bit harder. But now, you can be a bit more prepared by finding out which garden pest is most common in your state.
Garden supply company Gardens Alive looked at Google trends for the most searched pests and diseases then compared them with location data to discover what are the biggest threats to gardens in each different state. Turns out, most states don’t deal with bugs the most; they deal with birds. The flying animals came in as the top pest in the highest number of states, and while Gardens Alive didn’t give a reason for their prevalence, it’s likely due to their hunt for food and penchant for tearing up your garden to get it—and short of putting netting on everything it’s pretty tough to keep out a garden raider than can fly.
As for the next pest, it’s significantly scarier. Snakes came in second place topping the list in states like Alabama and Mississippi. While snakes and birds may not have been what you expected, bugs do also have their place on the list. Earwigs, nematodes, parasitic wasps, and mealybugs all came in at fourth place in one very bad tie.
If you’re worried about what creatures you may come to find in your garden, this list that ranks pests by state may be your new preventative guidebook.
[Via Apartment Therapy]
