Pest & Disease Tracker

Identify, track, and manage garden pests and diseases, log treatments, monitor effectiveness, and get tailored control recommendations for home gardeners and...

Security Scan

The skill is internally consistent: a local, instruction-driven pest/disease tracker implemented as a Python script that stores data under the user's home workspace and requires no external credentials or installs.

Purpose & Capability

The name and SKILL.md describe a local pest & disease tracker and the included Python script implements that functionality (add, list, show, search, recommend, treat, export). There are no unrelated requirements (no cloud creds, no external services).

Instruction Scope

Runtime instructions are limited to running the script with commands shown in SKILL.md. The script reads/writes a JSON DB in the user's home (~/.openclaw/workspace/pest_tracker_db.json) and prints recommendations. SKILL.md claims "file exports restricted to safe directories" but the examples accept an arbitrary <output_file>; verify the export implementation enforces safe paths if that guarantee matters to you.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec (instruction-only skill plus a script file). Nothing is downloaded or installed by the registry metadata — lowest-risk install posture.

Credentials

No environment variables, credentials, or external config paths are requested. The script only uses a DB file under the user's home directory, which is proportionate to a local tracker.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not always-enabled and does not request elevated privileges. It stores its own data under ~/.openclaw/workspace; this is reasonable for a per-user CLI tool.

Assessment

This skill appears coherent and local-only, but take these simple precautions before installing: 1) Review the full scripts/pest_tracker.py source (especially the truncated portion) to ensure it contains no network calls, subprocess execution, or secrets exfiltration. 2) Confirm how export <output_file> is implemented if you need exports restricted to certain directories (SKILL.md claims restricted exports but examples allow arbitrary paths). 3) Be aware the DB is stored at ~/.openclaw/workspace/pest_tracker_db.json — check its permissions and back it up if data retention matters. 4) Because the package has no homepage or author details, prefer running the script in a local/sandbox environment until you’re comfortable with its behavior.

Track and manage garden pests and diseases with treatment tracking.

Quick Start

Add a pest or disease

pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "aphids" --plants "tomatoes,peppers"

Record treatment

pest_tracker.py treat "<id>" --method "<method>" --product "<product>" --notes "<notes>"

List all issues

pest_tracker.py list

Show problem details

pest_tracker.py show "<id>"

Search issues

pest_tracker.py search "<query>"

Get treatment recommendations

pest_tracker.py recommend "<problem>"

Export data

pest_tracker.py export "<output_file>"

Usage Patterns

For pest identification and tracking

# Add pest sightings
pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "aphids" --plants "tomatoes" --severity "moderate"
pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "slugs" --plants "lettuce,hostas" --severity "high"

# Get treatment recommendations
pest_tracker.py recommend "aphids"
# Output: Neem oil, insecticidal soap, ladybugs

# Record treatments
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "spray" --product "neem oil" --notes "Apply in evening, reapply in 7 days"
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "natural" --product "ladybugs" --notes "Released 100 ladybugs"

For disease management

# Add diseases
pest_tracker.py add --type "disease" --name "early blight" --plants "tomatoes" --severity "critical"
pest_tracker.py add --type "disease" --name "powdery mildew" --plants "squash" --severity "moderate"

# Get treatment options
pest_tracker.py recommend "early blight"
# Output: Copper fungicide, remove affected leaves, improve air circulation

# Track treatment effectiveness
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "remove" --product "fungicide" --status "effective"

For preventive planning

# Document common issues in your garden
pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "cucumber beetles" --plants "cucumbers,melons" --severity "low" --notes "Prevent with row covers"

# Set up prevention schedule
pest_tracker.py recommend "cucumber beetles"
# Output: Row covers, beneficial nematodes, crop rotation

Problem Types

Common Pests

• Aphids - Small sap-suckers, distort new growth
• Slugs - Eat leaves, leave slime trails
• Caterpillars - Eat foliage and fruit
• Cucumber Beetles - Chew leaves, spread wilt disease
• Japanese Beetles - Skeletonize leaves
• Squash Bugs - Pierce stems, cause wilting
• Spider Mites - Webbing, yellow stippling
• Thrips - Scarring, distorted growth
• Whiteflies - Yellow leaves, sticky honeydew

Common Diseases

• Early Blight - Dark spots on tomatoes
• Late Blight - White fuzzy growth
• Powdery Mildew - White powdery coating
• Downy Mildew - Yellow patches, purple growth
• Blossom End Rot - Blossoms fall off
• Verticillium Wilt - Plants wilt and die
• Bacterial Spot - Water-soaked spots
• Anthracnose - Sunken lesions

Treatment Recommendations

Organic/Natural Treatments

• Neem Oil - Broad-spectrum insecticide, safe for beneficials
• Insecticidal Soap - Kills soft-bodied insects on contact
• Diatomaceous Earth - Mechanical insect control
• Bacillus thuringiensis - Bt for caterpillars
• Copper Fungicide - Organic disease control
• Sulfur Fungicide - Powdery mildew control
• Compost Tea - Boosts plant immunity
• Beneficial Insects - Ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps
• Barriers - Row covers, collars, netting

Chemical Treatments

• Pyrethrin - Synthetic insecticide
• Imidacloprid - Systemic insecticide
• Chlorothalonil - Broad-spectrum fungicide
• Mancozeb - Multi-site fungicide
• Captan - Seed treatment and fungicide

Always follow label directions and safety precautions.

Severity Levels

Level	Description	Action Timeline
low	Minor annoyance, limited damage	Treat within 7 days
moderate	Noticeable damage, spreading	Treat within 3-5 days
high	Significant damage, severe impact	Treat within 1-2 days
critical	Plant death or total crop loss	Treat immediately

Examples

Aphid outbreak on tomatoes

# Add the problem
pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "aphids" --plants "tomatoes" --severity "high" \
  --notes "Found on new growth, honeydew present"

# Get treatment options
pest_tracker.py recommend "aphids"
# Output: Neem oil, insecticidal soap, ladybugs, strong water spray

# Apply treatment
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "spray" --product "neem oil" \
  --notes "Spray every 2-3 days for 2 weeks, apply in evening"

Early blight on tomatoes

# Add disease
pest_tracker.py add --type "disease" --name "early blight" --plants "tomatoes" --severity "critical" \
  --notes "Found on lower leaves, rainy weather, needs immediate action"

# Get recommendations
pest_tracker.py recommend "early blight"
# Output: Copper fungicide, remove affected leaves, improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering

# Apply treatment
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "remove" --product "copper fungicide" \
  --notes "Applied fungicide, removed worst leaves, spaced plants for airflow"

Slug problem on lettuce

# Add pest
pest_tracker.py add --type "pest" --name "slugs" --plants "lettuce,hostas" --severity "moderate" \
  --notes "Slime trails visible, holes in leaves"

# Get options
pest_tracker.py recommend "slugs"
# Output: Beer traps, diatomaceous earth, copper tape, beneficial nematodes

# Set up traps
pest_tracker.py treat <id> --method "traps" --product "beer traps" \
  --notes "Set up 5 beer traps around bed, check daily"

Search Features

• Search by problem name
• Filter by type (pest/disease)
• Search by affected plants
• View treatment history
• Track treatment effectiveness

Security

Path Validation

The export function validates output paths to prevent malicious writes:

• ✅ Allowed: ~/.openclaw/workspace/, /tmp/, and home directory
• ❌ Blocked: System paths (/etc/, /usr/, /var/, etc.)
• ❌ Blocked: Sensitive dotfiles (~/.bashrc, ~/.ssh, etc.)

Data Storage

• Pest data stored in: ~/.openclaw/workspace/pest_tracker_db.json
• Each problem tracks: type, name, affected plants, severity, treatments, status
• Treatment history includes: method, product, date, effectiveness, notes
• JSON format makes it easy to backup or migrate

Best Practices

1. Identify early - Treat problems before they spread
2. Monitor regularly - Check plants daily during growing season
3. Use IPM - Integrated Pest Management combines methods for best results
4. Document treatments - Track what worked and what didn't
5. Prevent first - Barriers and beneficials reduce need for treatments
6. Rotate treatments - Prevent pest resistance
7. Follow labels - Chemical treatments need proper application
8. Improve conditions - Many problems thrive in stressed plants

Prevention Tips

Prevent Pests

• Crop rotation - Breaks pest life cycles
• Barriers - Row covers, netting, collars
• Beneficial insects - Ladybugs, lacewings, praying mantises
• Clean garden - Remove debris that harbors pests
• Companion planting - Repel pests with specific plants

Prevent Diseases

• Water correctly - Avoid wetting foliage
• Improve airflow - Space plants properly, prune regularly
• Clean tools - Disinfect between plants
• Use disease-resistant varieties - When available
• Sanitize soil - Solarization, crop rotation

Related Skills

• plant-tracker - Track individual plants and care schedules
• seasonal-planting-guide - What to plant when, by zone
• garden-layout-planner - Design gardens with companion planting

Use together for complete garden management!