As anyone who has ever planted and worked in a garden knows, it can be a very buggy place. In the midst of all those plants growing, blooming and producing fruit there is also a lot of creeping, crawling and munching going on. And it can be very frustrating at times.
But not all these multi-legged creatures are bad, and some are beneficial. In fact, sometimes it's actually helpful to bring in some of these bugs and insects.
Here are some of the helpful critters that you may want to see in your garden.
There are many different kinds of nematodes and some of these nematodes, often called Beneficial Nematodes, are very effective for pest control in the garden. Beneficial Nematodes live in the ground and feed on the soil dwelling larvae of many pests. They help control the population of many beetles, caterpillars, and other pests.
Ladybugs are another useful guest in the garden, because they feed on aphids. Ladybugs can be helpful in controlling Bollworms, Colorado Potato Beetles, Leafhoppers, Mealy Bugs, Scale Insects,
I've always been fascinated by Praying Mantises for some strange reason. In the spring I like to watch the egg pods for the little hatchlings. They are so tiny and delicate that it's hard to believe I'm really looking at a predator. Praying Mantises prey on some aphids, Black Fly larvae, Mosquitoes, and Scale Insects.
While Green Lacewings may appear very delicate they are also very aggressive predators. They are bought as eggs because if shipped live in close quarters they become cannibalistic and eat each other. Green Lacewings in the garden prey on some kinds of aphids, Army Worms, Bollworms, caterpillars, Cutworms, Fruitworms, Leafworms, Mealy Bugs, Scale Insects, Spider Mites, and Whiteflies.
These are just a few of the garden helpers that are so beneficial to the gardener, especially when working to avoid toxic chemicals and sprays to control pests.
No comments:
Post a Comment