BENEFICIAL INSECTS VS GARDEN

Warm weather means blooming flowers but it also means that the garden pests start to emerge. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep them in check and to make sure your garden looks healthy and happy with a balance of beneficial critters and plants. Japanese beetles are some of the worst garden bugs because they simply need any soil to lay eggs in and plants of all kinds to eat once they are hatched. Knowing whether you have a Japanese beetle problem can be identified by the look of your plants and by spotting the bugs themselves. The damage they cause to plants can be easily identified by the “skeletonized” look that foliage has, the leaves are riddled with holes and only the veins are intact. They lay eggs in the soil and, as the larvae hatch, they eat the roots of the plants causing them to die. Identifying these bugs is easy: they are small (about ½ an inch) with blue-ish green hairs, coppery backs, and beige wings. Another common garden pest is the aphid. These come in colors from green to tan to black, are around 1/8 of an inch and have a pear shape to them. They cause problems because they enjoy feasting on sap and leave behind a sticky fluid as they go. This fluid encourages mold, attracts ants, and if you’ve ever left a car or patio furniture under a plant that has aphids, you’re familiar with the sticky stuff covering your things. The Colorado Potato Beetle and the Mexican Bean Beetle are two more insects that wreak havoc over plants in the garden. They eat through leaves and fruits of many different vegetable patch staples like tomatoes and beans. There is good news, however! There are beneficial insects to introduce to your yard which prey on the pesky ones and stay in check and make everyone’s yards a nicer place to be. Nematodes are roundworms that live in the soil. They are parasitic to insects that have a larva in the soil and they prey on the grubs of Japanese beetles. They also eat cutworms, which are known to eat through plants, too. Praying mantis then come in to help curb the population of the insects once they are above ground. They eat Japanese beetles, other pest beetles, crickets, moths, and grasshoppers. They tend to keep the insect world in check in general and are great little “pets” to realize in your yard. And last but not least, ladybugs are great for keeping aphids at bay. Each one can eat thousands in their lifetime, so imagine what a small swarm could do! They prey on mealybugs and spider mites, both of which can infest your properties. There are also beneficial plants that can keep the pests away. For example, garlic and onions are great for keeping Japanese beetles at bay. This year make sure that these insects don’t undo all the careful gardening work you’ve done. With a little planning and foresight, you can strategically plant flowers and herbs and release ladybugs and praying mantis into your garden for a natural way to balance the pests with the beneficial bugs. The careful use of artificial pesticides is effective and long lasting, as well! At the end of the (gardening) day, just be sure your garden is how you want it and free of critters that you don’t want. Happy planting!