Last week we took the opportunity to reintroduce ourselves, for the benefit of first time readers.  As promised in that blog, today we are posting a brief overview of the five most popular beneficial insects for your garden. The text was actually published last July on our blog site and we are reproducing parts of it here today:

“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

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs (Hippodamia convergens)

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs

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…

Beneficial Nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterohabditis bacteriophora)

Beneficial 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. …

Brown Lacewings (Hemerobius spp.)

Brown Lacewings

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.)

Parasitic Wasps

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.)

Praying Mantis

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…”

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/07/beneficial-insects-for-the-garden/

Next week, we’ll provide a brief reminder as to how to ensure proper application of beneficial insects in your garden.

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Gardeners may not be as familiar with the Brown Lacewing as they are the Green Lacewing (which is a much prettier color).  As it happens, the Brown Lacewing is right up at the top of the list of effective garden predators.  Both the adult and larva has a voracious appetite for aphids, mites, thrips, mealy bug and other soft bodied insects.  They are most active after dusk, hiding themselves in plant vegetation during the daylight hours – so it is no wonder we don’t see them around.

With a long life span and great reproductive capability they are considered to have excellent potential for biological pest control.  Occurring naturally in arboreal forests and orchards, they have a capacity to tolerate a wide range of temperatures – making them a useful biological agent for pest control in temperate as well as tropical climates and greenhouses.

It goes without saying that their drab colour helps to provide camouflage – but did you know that sometimes the larva will also carry debris around on their backs to disguise themselves?  The larva look like tiny alligators, and tend to swing their heads slightly from side to side when they are walking – so you see – they know how to strut their stuff!  (Seriously – they are just on the lookout for food).   Aren’t you glad they’re on our side? 

Hemerobius spp. - Brown Lacewing Adult

This link has some great photos of the Brown Lacewing in all of its life stages.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/brown_lacewing.html

And guess what!  Biofloris carries these predators:

http://www.biofloris.com/beneficial-insects/brown-lacewing-adults-general-predator.html