Garden Insect Pests
Like it or not, insects dominate the earth. Their numbers are in the
billions upon billions. Insects are found virtually everywhere on the planet.
The species number in the tens of thousands, or more. Fortunately for us
gardeners, any one area has a minute subset of these insect species.
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 insect 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.
Get the lowdown on:
Ants
Aphids
Cicada
Cucumber Beetles
Earwigs
Japanese Beetles
Plant Lice
Slugs and Snails
Soil Borne Insects
Spider Mites
Squash Bug
Squash Vine Borers
Tomato Hornworm
Insects and Pollination:
Before you go ahead with your plan to apply a general purpose insecticide
and annihilate the insect population in your garden, make sure you know what
you are doing. Insecticides do not discriminate. Most insecticides are equally
effective, and will eliminate bees and beneficial insects along with the
ones are trying to eradicate. Some are harmful to valuable garden earthworms.
You could wipe out the bees you need for proper pollination. 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:
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Follow the directions on the label. Don't not apply moe frequently or heavier
than recommended.
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Spray in the early morning or just before dark when the bees are not out.
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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.
Learn about hand pollination.
Caution: Always, always follow safety directions on the label. And,
keep young children away during and after spraying.
Beneficial Insects and Animals:
While many people think every insect is a pest. There are many beneficial
insects in your garden , that consume harmful insects. We all know that a
ladybug brings good luck. To a gardener this is doubly true. Lady Bugs eat
aphids, and lots of 'em. In addition, there are many other beneficial bug
eating the bad bugs.
For more information, see:
Beneficial
Insects Identifies and describes insects which are good for your garden.
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:
Organic Insect Control Why expose yourself and
your family to harmful chemicals in your own garden and yard?
Slug and Snails - not an insect, but certaily a garden
pest.
Did you know? There are more insects in the world than all other creatures
combined! There are literally trillions of them.
More Information:
Buy Pest Netting- Protect against Cicada insect,
birds, deer an other garden pests.
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