Are Your Garden Bugs Bugging You?
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
by David Soper
Garden Magic Online
Fall is the time to refocus attention on the insect population living in your garden. Most of us can recognize the major villains, i.e., slugs, Japanese beetles, earwigs and the like. However, several entomologists with whom I talked recommend buying an illustrated guide to insects. They really stress how important it is to know what insects you've found and whether they are friends (a surprising number are) or enemies. So, plan to do a little homework this fall.
That balance is affected by a number of elements. Not surprisingly, we are the biggest contributors to tipping the scales. Here are some sure-fire ways to alter the balance in the wrong direction:
Monocultures: If you plant a number of the same species in the same area it can look stupendous, but it is a magnet for insects and fungi that like that particular species. An example might be the rose bed and its well-known aphid outbreaks.
Exotic Plantings: We often plant plants a long way from their native habitat. The plant may attract insects that don't have natural enemies in our area. We also put plants in environs that are so different from their normal habitats, the plants can't adjust and become stressed, an invitation to the bad guys.
Pesticide Panic: If you are the kind of gardener that reaches for pesticides every time you spot a problem, you are the problem.
Excessive pesticide use kills some bugs but not all . If you remember Gregor Mendel, you'll understand that bugs with natural resistance to the particular pesticide you used will reproduce while those that are not resistant will die. In short order, you will have more bugs resistant to the pesticide.
You kill the good guys, too. Most pesticides are not very specific . They kill everything they contact (except the resistant individuals), including the good guys. With these gone, new pests they had been controlling may move in.
You may have been too quick to assume the damage you saw was caused by the insect you saw. In fact, the insect you spotted may have eaten the one that caused the damage. You didn't see the damage-causing one because it was gone. And now the good guy is, as well.
Neem comes from the Neem tree of 's seeds and has been in use for more than 4,000 years. It seems to work against certain insects and certain fungi. Neem has been shown to be effective against gypsy moths, leafminers, western flower thrips, loopers, caterpillars and mealybugs. This compound interferes with the insect's ability to grow and molt, which means it might actually deter egg laying. I've used it against mites with good results.
Insecticidal soaps have been used for more than two centuries so they do work. They only work on soft-bodied insects and must be applied directly to and thoroughly cover the insect, which is a serious drawback in my opinion. No one really knows how they work but maybe they remove protective waxes on the insects causing death through loss of water. Some soaps can injure plants so use only those specifically labeled as insecticides.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Interesting article - we don't have as many bugs in Colorado as we have other places we've lived...Welcome to Searchwarp! Marijo
NIce article... Hope to see more of your articles.'Welcome to SearchWarp!' John
Bugs are not a problem in Portugal xD Very few here, and welcome
welcome to searchwarp! I think you'll find the critiques of your articles to be insightful and well thought out.
Great info, David. I will be referring to this article again. Welcome to SearchWarp.
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