Keep in mind when using beneficial insects

When using beneficial insects

As an organic gardener, I learned that not all pests are pests. Many types of pests are considered beneficial to our lawns and gardens. They help eliminate the bugs that damage all of our hard work. The use of these beneficial insects is a form of biological control or the use of other organisms to control pests that are harmful to our trees, shrubs, lawns, and gardens. Simply put, good insects eat bad insects. There are many reasons why you should consider this method of controlling garden pests naturally.

Why Use Beneficial Insects

When I eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, I do not have to worry about biting my home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, and other garden fruits and vegetables. Numerous researchers point out that these chemicals are responsible for headaches, nausea, and other ailments, including long-term effects such as cancer and birth defects.

When you spray chemical pesticides on your plants, you are doing more than just destroying the harmful pests. You also kill those who do good. This can be detrimental to the long-term maintenance of your garden because you will not have the number of natural predators to control the number of nasty pests. It is true that you can succeed in destroying the first crop of pests, but a continuous wave of pests will retaliate.

Researchers have found that many insects are beginning to show resistance to chemical pesticides. The Pesticide Action Network reports that 1,000 insect and weed species have developed this resistance since 1945. But insects are never resistant to being swallowed by another insect.

Last but not least, I like the fact that I do not have to spend money on pesticides if I create an environment for beneficial bugs to thrive in my area.

Things to look out for before introducing beneficial insects

Check the terms and permissions in your area. If you plan to buy them, you may need permission before importing certain types of pests. Let your neighbors know what you are doing. You do not want them spraying pesticides near your house. This can affect your garden.

If your neighbor also enjoys gardening, teach them about the benefits you would like to experience with beneficial insects. You also want to make sure that the plants and climate are conducive to the pests that help you.

Attracting beneficial insects

Find out who the good guys are first to attract beneficial pests to your garden and then give them the right habitat. To get an idea of ​​your insect population, you can get up close and personal with nature as an observer, hand lens, and a picture book of insects.

If you have already banned the use of chemicals and have grown a wide variety of plants, you will already be looking for some creeping garden helpers. The most common are ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, real bugs, and small wasps.

Insects with small flowers that grow in clusters and flowers like daisies are especially attracted. I love planting ginseng, marigold, and cosmos in the garden. They can be started from seed and are easy to grow. The flowers of the herb are very attractive to insects. Allow your parsley, basil, and coriander to bloom in your garden. Other plants to consider include thyme, oregano, onion, and fennel. Something blooms from early spring until late autumn.

Common species of beneficial insects

Some of these beneficial insects do not actually do the job of killing the bad insects. They eat the nectar and pollen of the flowers, and then they produce offspring. When the eggs hatch, they become larval stable. It is in this condition that harmful insects hunt and eat. Other beneficial insects are adult predators that feed directly on harmful insects. Ladybug is a popular insect that does this. It swallows aphids, whiteflies, insects, and some types of beetles.

Buy dandelion, dill, common yarrow, and a basket of gold to impress Ladybox or at your garden center. Praying Mantis to feed cricket, moths, and caterpillars Want. They like to gather among shrubs and tall grasses and are inspired by dill, cosmos, and marigold.

Ground beetles are excellent for controlling caterpillars, snails, and mites. You may not notice them because they are active at night. They are inspired by clover and evening primrose. Aphid midges feed on more than sixty other types of harmful aphids. They prefer flowering plants with plenty of honey.

The prey of The braconid wasp’s wasp includes caterpillars, aphids, and tomato hornworms. They actually kill the caterpillars by laying eggs inside them. Plant lemon balm, common yarrow, and parsley to attract them. Damsel Bugs feed on insects, aphids, caterpillars, cabbage worms, and potato beetles. They are inspired by alfalfa, fennel, blonde, and spearmint. The larval stage of the green l receiving insect eats moths, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and caterpillars of leafhoppers. They are inspired by dandelion, dill, and coriander.

The soldier beetle preys on soft-bodied insects, aphids, and locust eggs. Add guinea fowl, goldenrod and marigold to your garden. They are inspired by linden trees.

Floating flies control caterpillars, scale insects, and aphids during their larval stage. The adult eats pollen and lays eggs. The mature floating insect is attracted to dill, someone common, someone with a fern leaf and a basket of gold. You can plan your garden and lawn to attract these beneficial insects or buy them at large garden centers and nurseries. If you buy them, be sure to provide them with some suitable plants. A common mistake some gardeners make is overpopulation with beneficial pests. There must be enough prey to move around or they will go elsewhere in search of food. Also, monitor your plants frequently to make sure they do not exceed the number of beneficial insects.