What pest cause the most damage to farms?

Author: Johnpaul Kohler Jr.  |  Last update: Saturday, May 24, 2025

Armyworms feed on a variety of grasses and broadleaf crops, including corn, wheat, rice, and alfalfa, making them a formidable threat to agricultural production worldwide.

What is the most damaging agricultural pest?

Here are some of the most destructive pests in agriculture:
  • Locusts. Locusts are notorious in the agriculture industry. ...
  • Japanese Beetles. ...
  • Mormon Crickets. ...
  • True Bugs. ...
  • Corn Rootworm. ...
  • Colorado Potato Beetle. ...
  • Stink Bugs.

What is the most common pest to farmers?

True bugs are one of the most common agricultural pests, encompassing all insects of the Order Hemiptera. Some of these insects are more commonly known as cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, and shield bugs. They damage using their piercing mouthpieces to penetrate into the plant and suck out its juices.

What insect does the most damage to crops?

Top 10 insect pests to plants
  • Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) ...
  • Taro caterpillar (Spodoptera litura) ...
  • Red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) ...
  • Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) ...
  • Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) ...
  • Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) ...
  • Brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens)

What pest causes the most damage?

Here we go: Termites cause over $5 billion of damage to property in the U.S. each year, according to the National Pest Management Association. And damage by termites is typically not covered by homeowner's insurance.

How Wildflowers Can Prevent Pest Damage On Farms

Which of the following pests is the most destructive?

When it comes to destruction, termites top the list. The Formosan termite and eastern subterranean termite are arguably the most destructive termite species.

What is the hardest pest to get rid of?

In conclusion, termites, bed bugs, and cockroaches are the most challenging pests to eliminate from your home. Their ability to hide, reproduce quickly, and withstand many extermination methods make professional pest control services essential for effective pest management.

What causes the most damage to crops?

Insects and Pests

Since the domestication of agricultural crops or the dawn of the agricultural revolution, insects and pests are the main villains of the crop. They have been competing with humans over farm produce. They damage crops in two ways: Direct injury and indirect damage.

What is the biggest threat to crops?

Soil erosion.

Heavy rainfalls can lead to more soil erosion, which is a major environmental threat to sustainable crop production.

What is a major pest?

A major pest is a pest species that is currently causing significant damage to crops, livestock, or other resources, and is known to be a major economic or ecological problem. These pests have already established themselves and are well-documented as causing significant damage to the environment or human activities.

Which does a pest need the most?

Most pests like warmer temperatures, and habitats where water is available. But the main thing they look for, of course, is food!

What do farmers use for pest control?

Factors like fungus or weeds could have adverse effects on your crops, but pesticides can keep them under control. The four most common pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and bactericides.

What is a destructive insect that harms crops?

Aphid. Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects that infest various crops, including grains, fruits, and vegetables. While individually tiny, aphids reproduce rapidly and can amass into enormous colonies, causing considerable crop damage.

What is the top nuisance pest?

Let's discuss the most common types of nuisance pests to know more about them:
  • Ants. Ants are one of the most common types of nuisance pests found in homes and commercial buildings. ...
  • Cockroaches. ...
  • Flies. ...
  • Mosquitoes. ...
  • Spiders. ...
  • Rodents. ...
  • Carpet Beetles. ...
  • Wasps (Yellow Jackets, Paper Wasp, etc.)

What is the most destructive pest in the world?

Locusts (Acrididae family)

This is because in special circumstances they can gather in numbers of a biblical scale, moving across landscapes engulfing fields and devastating crops in a matter of minutes.

What is the most harmful crop?

10 Crops That Are Destroying Our Planet
  1. 1 Palm Oil. The Problem With Palm Oil | Fight for the Forests | TakePart.
  2. 2 Soybeans. Deforestation: The hidden soy on your plate. ...
  3. 3 Corn (Maize) The Corn Industry – Factory Farming, Processed Foods, and Ethanol. ...
  4. 4 Cotton. ...
  5. 5 Rice. ...
  6. 6 Sugarcane. ...
  7. 7 Bananas. ...
  8. 8 Wheat. ...

What is the main threat to the farmers?

Inadequate transport. Farmers in developing countries have a hard time transporting their produce to markets due to lack of roads, vehicles and money. They often have to carry their produce from the farm to local markets on foot or by bicycle, which can be challenging and time-consuming.

What is the biggest danger to plants on land?

The main threat to both plant and fungi species is habitat loss and land-use change in the form of forestry, agriculture or residential and commercial development.

What is an example of a key pest?

key pest – An insect, mite, disease, nematode or weed that frequently results in unacceptable damage and thus typically requires a control action. Key pest status is dependent on action thresholds set for the pest.

What is the cause of 90% of crop losses?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 90% of crop losses are related to extreme weather – but it's not just the direct impact of summer drought, floods and severe storms. Winter weather is another important variable to consider when it comes to a successful agricultural operation.

What are two factors that can cause heavy damage to crops?

Causes of Crop Damage
  • Causes of Crop Damage. Flood Inundation. ...
  • Agricultural drought. There has been a substantial increase in frequency of agricultural drought and their spatial extent in NER. ...
  • River bank erosion. ...
  • Insect, pest and disease infestation.

What percentage of crops are destroyed by pests?

Between 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually. Each year, plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion, and invasive insects around $70 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

What is the most damaging pest?

Termites: Silent Destroyers

Let's start with the big one on every homeowner's mind: termites. These little insects cause billions in property damage every year. Often, the case that such damages aren't apparent to the homeowner until it's too late.

What is the most annoying pest in the world?

1) Mosquito's: Itchy bites, annoying buzzing sounds, and they carry diseases. 2) Fleas: Tough to handle infestations, itchy bites on pets and people. 3) Midge/Sand Fly: Painful bites, and they attack in groups. 4) Common House Flies: Hang around our food, loud buzzing, nasty habits, and they carry disease.

What is the strongest pest?

6 Strongest Insects in the World
  • Rhinoceros Beetle. The rhinoceros beetle is a relatively large insect that gets its name from the large projection that males have on their faces that resembles the horn of a rhinoceros. ...
  • Leafcutter Ants. ...
  • Ironclad Beetle. ...
  • Dung Beetle. ...
  • Honey Bees. ...
  • Cockroaches.

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