What's eating my cilantro / coriander?

Cilantro is mostly trouble-free but aphids congregate on tender shoot tips, and whitefly can build up in warm conditions. Caterpillars occasionally browse leaves. The plant bolts quickly in heat, which naturally reduces pest pressure but ends the harvest — fast succession sowing is more valuable than pest control for most growers.

Colonies of small green or black insects on new growth; leaf curl and sticky deposits Blast with water; apply insecticidal soap; allow beneficial insects — cilantro flowers attract hoverflies and parasitic wasps naturally

Clouds of tiny white insects when plant is disturbed; yellowing leaves with sticky honeydew below Use yellow sticky traps to monitor; spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil on undersides of leaves; keep plants well-ventilated

Irregular holes chewed in leaves; frass (dark pellets) on foliage Hand-pick small infestations; apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray targeting young caterpillars; use row cover on young plants