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************************************************************ BY GEORGE EDGAR Recently the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln published two new Extension Circulars with
beautiful color pictures of beneficial insects. When I printed them off
from the computer my wife and I were surprised at how many of these we
have been killing because we thought they were hurting our plants. To get
your copy of these two Extension Circulars go to your Last week I
mentioned that many gardeners are going after Aphids with the insecticide
“Sevin” only to discover a couple weeks later they are worse than
ever. The reason is that “Sevin” will kill the Aphids but also it is
very deadly to many beneficial insects such as bees, other pollinators,
and “Lady Bugs” that eat Aphids. If Aphids are a problem for you,
start out using “Insecticidal Soap” rather than a harsh chemical that
kills everything. Dishwashing liquid and/or detergent are not good
substitutes as the dish washing liquid has a rinsing agent so the soap
will rinse off our dishes and glasses. You don’t want your insecticide
to easily rinse off your plant. Also many Insecticidal Soaps are made from
oils from the “Neem Tree” that also has insecticidal qualities. I get very
upset with the commercials I hear on TV and radio and see in the
newspapers and magazines that brag about their insecticide and how many
insects they will kill above and below the ground. I also get upset when
everyone advertises their 4, 5, or 6 step lawn program that automatically
includes a general insecticide to kill all the insects in your lawn. The
only insecticide I put on my lawn is a “preventative” grub control
containing imadicloprid (Merit). In most parts of Don’t pollute
the environment with other applications on the lawn unless you have an
insect problem. And next year when you purchase your lawn products or sign
up for a lawn service, don’t automatically buy an insect application.
Save your money and buy an application of winter lawn food with iron. Your
lawn will thank you!!! Three years ago
I wrote a series of articles “Only 3% Of the Insects in Your Yard and
Garden Are Destructive”. I decided to recycle this series of articles
when I heard recently of a person who saw a black bug on her plant and
grabbed the only insecticide she had in the house. A couple days later the
leaves started to turn brown and then dropped off. This insecticide had a
petroleum base and when applied outside in 90 degree weather, the leaves
burned. It is very unlikely her plant will survive. She did not know what
the bug was or if it was destructive. All she knew was the bug was on her
plant. This morning a
caller to another garden program said she sprayed her tomatoes with
“Home Defense”. This is a good product for use in the house. However,
she did not know what the insect was, and did not read the label on the
container to see if it was ok for use on tomatoes outside, or if it is,
how long the user has to wait before harvest.
The entomologist and hostess of the program recommended she take
off all the tomatoes and not use them. She lost her first fruits because
she did not get a proper identification of the pest and did not use the
right product, on the right plant, at the right time. Before you use
any pesticide be sure you (1) make a positive ID of the bug or disease,
(2) use the least harmful control available, and (3) read the label and
follow the manufacturers recommended directions. So if only 3%
of the insects are destructive, what about the other 97%? One entomologist
told me that the other 97% of the insects can probably be classified as
follows: ·
Nuisance insects ·
Neutral or incidentals ·
Beneficials A good example
of a nuisance
insect is the Boxelder Bug. This bug does not eat your plants,
it does not bite you. When it gets into your home it does not eat clothes,
drapes, or furniture. These bugs are just a nuisance and can be best
cleaned up with a vacuum. Mini-vacs are a tremendous advance in household
pest control technology. And no chemicals are needed. Many do not like
these nuisance insects but they are not destructive. Neutral
or incidental bugs are just that. They exist in our environment
but are not chewing on our plants, they do not transmit diseases, nor do
they bite us or our pets. Some, like butterflies, can be very pretty and
are prized for their aesthetic value.
The beneficial insects can
be further classified as ·
Decomposers, that break down
organic matter, help turn yard and kitchen scraps into compost, and are
necessary for the health of the soil in our yard and garden; ·
Pollinators, such as bees,
flies, beetles, and other flower-visiting insects; ·
Predators and parasites,
including lady beetles, green lacewings, syrphid flies, ground beetles,
parasitoid wasps, and other insects that eat aphids, grubs, caterpillars,
as well as other yard and garden pests. The parasitoids lay their eggs in,
on, or near many undesirable insects, their eggs eventually hatching and
the larva feeding on the host, soon killing it. Next week in
Part #2, I will talk more about insects, outline controls without the use
of chemicals, and have a list of references. Remember the number one rule
of gardening: Read
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