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BY
Did you know
that there are over 1,000,000 insect species that have been described by
entomologists? Do you know how many of these are actually garden pests?
According to a
So if only less
than 100 insects are destructive pests, what about the others? One
entomologist told me that the others can probably be classified as
follows:
·
Nuisance
insects
·
Neutral or
incidental insects
·
Beneficial
insects 1. 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. 2.
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. 3. 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.
Horticulturist
at Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, have written an
article on “Growing Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects”. In this they
say a gardener can grow plants in their garden that attract beneficial
insects. “Adult lacewings, flower (syrphid) flies and parasitic wasps,
for example, feed on flower nectar and pollen. Their young devour many
of the insect pests that can make a gardener’s life miserable.
Maintaining this workforce however means providing food for the
beneficials
It really
bothers me when people get out the bug spray whenever they see any kind
of insect. Or when people buy a 4-step, 5-step, or 6-step lawn program
and put the insecticide step on their lawn even though they do not have
and never have had an insect problem. Or when homeowners sign a contract
with a lawn care company for an insect application when they do not need
it.
I overheard a
man tell a store clerk that he had just finished mowing his lawn and had
many moths fly up as he mowed. He was sure they were laying eggs and
they would destroy his grass. He asked for an insecticide that would
take them all out. He had no idea what the moths were, if they were
really laying eggs, and if they would injure his lawn. The clerk in the
box store did not know anymore than the homeowner and sold him a
granular insecticide for his lawn. For years the only insecticide I have
put on my lawn is “imadicloprid” (Merit) for grubs. In most parts of
If you use a
general purpose insecticide like Sevin, Eight, Malathion or Bifenthrin
every time you see a bug, or every year put a general insecticide on
your lawn just because you think you should, you may be doing more harm
than good. Make sure the insects you see are actually hurting your lawn
or your plant before taking action. Not all the holes in the leaves of
plants are caused by insects, and not all the dead grass in your lawn is
from insects or fungus.
Use the right
insecticide, at the right Copyright 2013 |