Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Introducing beneficial insects to the garden to keep insect pests in check is the best way to becoming more environmentally friendly.  Biofloris is committed to providing the highest quality beneficials for the garden as well as educational support for release and establishment in your garden.          

Quick reminder:         

• A predator in this context is an insect that catches and consumes other insects (prey). Please click here for more information on pest insects.
• A parasitizer in this context is an insect that inserts it’s own eggs into the larva or egg of another host and consumes the host internally 

This week, I’ll do a brief overview of five of the most popular beneficials – then, over the next few weeks spotlight each one to ensure successful application.         

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs (Hippodamia convergens). Of all the beneficial insects around, the convergent Lady Bug is probably the most familiar to homeowners and children alike as a friend to your garden.  Both the larva and adult have a voracious appetite for many different species of aphids; so encouraging these pretty little beetles in the garden makes good sense. The only drawback is that it is often difficult to find them in local stores or garden centers. Please visit our past blog for more information         

Beneficial Nematodes – (Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterohabditis bacteriophora). A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about the value of releasing nematodes to control various lawn grubs such as Japanese Beetle, June Beetle and European Chafer.  These microscopic worms are a powerful tool to grub control if released under the right conditions. So refer back to the blog to ensure you are providing the right conditions and releasing them at the correct time. As I said in my blog of: Part 3 – Successful Application of Nematodes - “these are living micro-organisms – and they need to be applied properly or they won’t be effective!”         

Brown Lacewings (Hemerobius spp.)Unlike the more familiar green lacewings, brown lacewings are active at night.  They control numerous garden pests such as mites, leafhoppers, mealybugs, thrips and whitefly.         

Parasitic Wasps (Trichogramma spp.) – This is one of the smallest parasitic wasps around, and the best thing about this wasp is that it parasitizes over 200 different spp. of moth and butterfly eggs before the larva emerge and damage plant foliage.         

Praying Mantis (Mantis spp.) A fascinating appearance and front legs that strike with lightening speed, these highly predacious insects feed on flies, moths, crickets and grasshoppers, to name just a few.  They generally are more easily established in gardens using organic practices.         

There are other beneficials recommended – for example – in the June 2010 issue of Canadian Living, Frankie Flowers also suggests Green Lacewings and Dragonflies. Here is a link to one of his articles:           

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/home_and_garden/photo_gallery__5_bugs_your_garden_needs.php         

Reasons for failure with the release of beneficial insects is often because:         

• Homeowners are not releasing the correct beneficial – the pest in question needs to be identified first before choosing an appropriate beneficial insect.  Soon Biofloris will be providing a free insect identification service!
• Incorrect timing of release. it is just not enough to release a beneficial hoping they’ll stick around ‘just in case’ a pest shows up;  the timing of release must coincide with pest emergence
• Failure to provide a favorable habitat to establish a permanent presence in the garden. Beneficial insects need more than just the pest as a food source;  they also need refuge, nectar, pollen and a water source. As the Lawn Blog says: “Luckily, attracting beneficial insects is easy.  Provide a habitat they’ll like, avoid using chemical pesticides and attract and keep them around with all-natural, easy-to-use products.” I couldn’t agree more! http://www.thelawnblog.com/2010/03/03/attract-beneficial-insects-for-all-natural-pest-control-and-greater-yields/

And now a few pictures:         

Hippodamia convergens – Convergent Lady Beetle Male and Female Adults

Hippodamia convergens – Convergent Lady Beetle Male and Female Adults.  Both larva and adult consume numerous aphid pests on a daily basis. Image courtesy of: Jessica Lawrence, Eurofins Agroscience Services, www.bugwood.org         

Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterohabditis bacteriophora  When beneficial nematodes are distributed under the right environmental conditions, they are highly effective against lawn grubs.    Simply go back to one of our past blogs to see what they look like       

Hemerobius spp. – Brown Lacewing Adult. Unlike Green Lacewings, Brown Lacewings are active at dusk. Both larva and adults are predaceous and feed on aphids, certain mite species and insect eggs. Image courtesy of: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, www.bugwood.org         

Trichogramma spp. – Trichogramma Adult Wasp

 

Mantis religiosa - European Praying Mantis adult stage

Mantis religiosa – European Praying Mantis adult stage. The Praying Mantis predator uses its powerful front legs to strike with lightening speed. Image courtesy of: Joseph Berger, www.bugwood.org 

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