Last week, while chatting with my neighbor in her garden, I noticed something on the underside of her tomato leaves—tiny clusters of strange oval shapes clinging tightly to the stems. They were so bright and noticeable that I wondered how she hadn’t seen them yet. She thought they were just harmless little specks of dirt, maybe pollen or dried sap. But the moment I looked closer, I knew exactly what they were, and my heart sank. I told her gently, “Please don’t touch those with your bare hands. Let me show you why.”

She leaned in, curious, and I explained how certain garden pests lay eggs that look innocent but can spread quickly if disturbed. It’s not that they’re dangerous to humans—just incredibly destructive to plants if left alone. A single cluster can turn into dozens of hungry larvae that chew through leaves overnight. My neighbor’s eyes widened when I showed her how to safely remove them using gloves and a simple solution of water and mild soap. Within minutes, she understood how easily a thriving garden can get overwhelmed without realizing the cause.