Insects & Pests
Like it or not, insects dominate the earth. Their
numbers are in the billions upon billions. Insects are found virtually
anywhere on the planet and the species number in the tens of thousands.
Fortunately for us gardeners, any one area has a minute subset of the
species and population. If you are an organic gardener, you learn natural
controls and a bit of semi-peaceful co-existence. To those who can't stand
bugs, and commercial growers who depend on a good crop for a livelihood,
there are effective chemical controls for most common pests.
Did You Know? Some insects are beneficial and eat
harmful insects. Good examples are Preying Mantis and Ladybugs who both
love to munch on aphids.
Insects and Pollination:
Before you go ahead with your plan to put down a general
purpose insecticide and annihilate the insect population in your garden,
make sure you know what you are doing. Whether mild or strong is not the
issue I am referring to. Most insecticides are also equally effective on
bees as they are upon the bugs you are trying to eradicate. You may result
in effectively wiping out the bee pollinators. Did you know that you many
of the insects you are eliminating are also pollinators? If you wipe out
the bees and you wipe out the insects, pollination will be poor or
non-existent.
We recommend the following steps to an effective insect
control program while maximizing pollination
-
Follow the directions on the label. Don't not apply
moe frequently or heavier than recommended.
-
Spray in the early morning or just before dark when
the bees are not out.
-
Stop spraying a week or two prior to the pollination
period and while pollination is at it's peak.
Did you Know? You can hand pollinate many plants.
This increases fruit and vegetable set when pollinators are at a minimum.
Caution: Always, always, always follow the safety
directions on the label. And, keep young children away during and after
spraying.
Beneficial Insects and Animals:
While many people think of insects as pests, there are a
variety that are beneficial in your garden as they consume other, more
harmful insects. We all know that a ladybug brings good luck. To a
gardener this is doubly true as Lady Bugs eat aphids, and lost of 'em. In
addition, there are many other beneficial bug eating bugs.
For more information, see:
Beneficial
Insects in the Home Garden
Beneficial
Insects Identifies and describes insects which are good for your
garden. These insects help by eating other, harmful insects.
In addition, there are animals that help to keep down the
insect population. Among them are snakes, frogs and toads and a variety of
birds, most notably the Purple Martin and bats!
Did you know? Some people create habitats for bats
in a very successful endeavor to keep down the insect population.
Valuable Links:
List
of Bugs This is among the best on the net.
Featured
Creatures Another really buggy place, this one by the University of
Florida.
Slug
and Snail FAQ If you want to learn about slugs and snails, this
19-page site is the place to go!
Vegetable
Insects
Insect
and Related Pests of Vegetables
Pests
in the Garden
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