As gardeners, we all know that there are benefits of having good bugs in our yards, and It seems that bugs are plentiful this year, since the heat came on early. However, most insects, spiders and other bugs are beneficial, and we really do want them in our gardens! Here are details on these critters and why they can help!
First, among the hundreds of thousands of species of the Coleoptera (beetles) and Hemiptera (true bugs) insect orders are many predatory creatures which dine on their plant-eating relatives. Tiger, soldier, ground and ladybird beetles, along with assassin and pirate bugs are just a few of these beneficial creatures you should welcome in your garden as residents because they eat “bad bugs”. For example, the ladybird beetle’s favorite meal is aphids, which we definitely do not want on our plants!
kAmq66D 2C6 2?@E96C 36?67:4:2= DA64:6D H6 H2?E E@ <66A 2C@F?5[ 3642FD6 2== @7 E96> 2C6 A@==:?2E@CDj E96J 2C6 =2C86=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 DF446DD7F= 56G6=@A>6?E @7 D665D[ ?FED[ 36CC:6D[ 7CF:ED 2?5 @E96C A=2?E 7@@5D H9:49 7665 3@E9 A6@A=6 2?5 H:=5=:76] *@F H:== 2=D@ H2?E E@ H6=4@>6 H2DAD 2?5 2?ED 2D H6==j 2D 2G:5 AC652E@CD[ E96J 4@?DE2?E=J A2EC@= 2?5 A:4< @FC 82C56?D 4=62? @7 A6DED] p=D@[ @?=J 76>2=6 H2DAD DE:?8 2?5 E92E 😀 FDF2==J 3642FD6 E96:C ?6DED 92G6 366? E9C62E6?65]k^Am
kAmqFEE6C7=:6D 2?5 >@E9D 2C6 2EEC24E:G6 2?5 H@?56C7F= E@ D66 😕 E96 =2?5D42A6 2D E96J 7=FEE6C 23@FE DA@CE:?8 362FE:7F= 4@=@CD] %96J 2C6 2=D@ :>A@CE2?E A@==:?2E@CDj 6G6? 36EE6C[ E96:C 42E6CA:==2CD 2EEC24E 3:C5D :?E@ @FC J2C5D] s:5 J@F @H E92E @G6C hd A6C46?E @7 3242CJ 7@@5 D@FC46 7@C E96:C J@F?8n $@[ 2EEC24E:?8 E96D6 :?D64ED E@ J@FC 82C56? >62?D E92E J@F H:== 92G6 >@C6 3:C5D[ H9:49 2=D@ 62E :?D64ED]k^Am
kAm$A:56CD 42? 36 D42CJ\=@@<:?8[ 3FE E96J 2C6 24EF2==J D@>6 @7 E96 >@DE 96=A7F= 82C56? :?G6CE63C2E6Dj 2=E9@F89 E96J 2C6 @7E6? 92E65 @C 762C65[ E96J 4@?DF>6 >2?J :?D64ED] p== DA:56CD 2C6 AC652E@CJ 2?5 9F?E FD:?8 2 G2C:6EJ @7 E649?:BF6D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 @C3\H62G6C 82C56? DA:56C FD6D D<:==7F==J H@G6? H63D] %2C2?EF=2D 2?5 EC2A\5@@C DA:56CD FD6 2>3FD9 E@ 42E49 E96:C AC6J[ 2?5 E96 H@=7 2?5 ;F>A:?8 DA:56CD FD6 E96 >6E9@5 @7 DE2=<:?8]k^Am
kAmsC28@?7=:6D 2?5 52>D6=7=:6D @776C 2 5@F3=6 E9C62E 😕 J@FC J2C5] %96D6 26C:2= 24C@32ED 2D 25F=ED 7665 @? >2?J 7=J:?8 :?D64ED[ 7C@> >@DBF:E@D E@ 3:E:?8 7=:6D 2?5 8?2ED] pD =2CG26[ E96J :?923:E H2E6C 2?5 56G@FC =2CG26 @7 E96D6 D2>6 A6DED] s:5 J@F @H E92E 25F=E 5C28@?7=:6D 42? 4@?DF>6 9F?5C65D @7 >@DBF:E@6D 😕 @?6 52Jn %96J 2C6 G2=F65 2D AC652E@CD D:?46 E96J 96=A 4@?EC@= A@AF=2E:@?D @7 92C>7F= :?D64ED] p5F=E 5C28@?7=:6D 5@ ?@E 3:E6 @C DE:?8 9F>2?D[ E9@F89 ?J>A9D 2C6 42A23=6 @7 56=:G6C:?8 2 A2:?7F= 3FE 92C>=6DD 3:E6]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 E9C66 3F8D J@F 5@ ?@E H2?E 😕 J@FC 82C56?[ E9@F89] u:CDE[ 5:D4@FC286 >@DBF:E@D 7C@> J@FC J2C5[ 2D E96J DAC625 5:D62D6Dj 6=:>:?2E:?8 DE28?2?E H2E6C 2?5 4=62?:?8 4=@8865 8FEE6CD H:== 96=A E@ AC6G6?E E96>] u:C6 2?ED[ :?EC@5F465 😕 p=232>2 @G6C `__ J62CD 28@[ 2C6 AC@=:76C2E:?8P %96J 92G6 2 G6CJ A2:?7F= DE:?8 2?5 E96J 92G6 5:DA=2465 >2?J ?2E:G6 2?E DA64:6D] q6 DFC6 E@ 2G@:5 E96:C =2C86 >@F?5D 2?5 42== 2? 6IE6C>:?2E@C E@ C6>@G6 E96>] u:?2==J[ 3642FD6 @7 @FC 566C A@AF=2E:@? 96C6 😕 ~<=29@>2[ E:4 😕 J@FC =2?5D42A6[ 3642FD6 E96J DAC625 5:D62D6D[ 2?5 E:4[ 2G@:5 2C62D @7 E2== 8C2DD 2?5 >@H A2E9H2JD 😕 J@FC 82C56?] p=D@[ H62C =@?8 A2?ED E92E 2C6 EF4<65 :?E@ D@46]k^Am
kAm%@ 6?4@FC286 36?67:4:2= :?D64ED[ H92E 42? J@F 5@ E@ 2EEC24E E96>n u:CDE[ A=2?E ?2E:G6 DA64:6D H9:49 42? DFAA@CE e_ A6C46?E >@C6 ?2E:G6 :?D64ED E92E 6I@E:4 @C?2>6?E2= A=2?ED] $64@?5[ 5@?’E 36 E@@ E:5Jj 2 ?2EFC2= 82C56? 56D:8? H:== AC@G:56 9:5:?8 2?5 9:36C?2E:@? DA@ED[ 2D H6== 2D 7@@5 2?5 A=246D E@ ?6DE] u:?2==J[ C65F46 E96 ?F>36C @7 A6DE:4:56D J@F FD6j H9:=6 E96J 42? 36 2 FD67F= E@@=[ F=E:>2E6=J E96J <:== 2== :?D64ED :?4=F5:?8 E96 36?67:4:2= @?6D J@F H2?E E@ AC@>@E6 😕 J@FC J2C5Pk^Am
kAmpD J@F AC6A2C6 2?5 6?;@J J@FC 82C56?D E9:D J62C[ E9:?< EH:46 23@FE DE6AA:?8 @? @C DAC2J:?8 E92E DA:56C[ H2DA @C 42E6CA:==2CP *@F H:== C62A 3:8 36?67:ED 😕 E96 =@?8 CF?Pk^Am