Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Spiders

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

As gardeners we are often focused on bugs, insects and pests that can and do cause harm to our plants. We do spend time and resources eliminating the pests from our vegetable, flower gardens, shrubs and trees with the use of products we purchase from our local garden centers.

But not all bugs are harmful to our gardens and some can be very beneficial to our flowers and plants.

With up to 40,000 different species it comes with know surprise spiders can be found worldwide. Their two-part bodies, the cephalothorax (head) and abdomen, contain eight eyes and eight matching legs. Size can range from miniscule up to a large tarantula with a 10 inch leg span. Color schemes vary including color patterns and hair.

Benefits: There are two types of spiders; hunters and weavers. Hunters have acute hearing and attack their prey while weavers spin webs to catch their food. Whatever the tactic, spiders are king of pest control. They feast on EVERYTHING and never get full. Most are shy and harmless and tend to live in moist (mulch) hiding places along the garden.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Beetle

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

As gardeners we are often focused on bugs, insects and pests that can and do cause harm to our plants.We do spend time and resources eliminating the pests from our vegetable, flower gardens, shrubs and trees with the use of products we purchase from our local garden centers.

But not all bugs are harmful to our gardens and some can be very beneficial to our flowers and plants.One of these beneficial bugs is the ground beetle.

Ground Beetles have been identified world wide, except in Polar Regions, and 2,500 species can be found in North America. No more than an inch long, these nocturnal insects don’t vary in many colors (black, brown, and green) and have a shiny, hard, shied-like forewing. They have two sets of back legs and one set for the front with long antennas emerging from between its eyes and jaw.

At night, while hunting prey, ground beetles hide underneath fallen leaves or pebbles and surprise attack their prey. While these insects will not win any beauty contest most eat caterpillars, cutworms, slugs, snails and maggots. They are a natural eliminator of many of our garden pests. Add low growing plants (amaranth) to your garden in order to attract ground beetles.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Hover Fly

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

Hover flies can be found everywhere except for Antarctica and grow no more than a half-inch in length. They are also known as drone flies or flower flies. Both hover flies and bees have different and similar characteristics. Hover flies foster only two wings whereas bees have four, but both harbor black and yellow horizontal stripes along its body. Hover flies have excellent flying skills and are able to stand still and fly backwards while feeding from flowers.

Benefits: Even though hover flies eat immense amounts of aphids it’s the larvae that eat up to 60 aphids a day, they also eat caterpillars, mealybugs and thrips and are usually found in ponds and streams. To attract hover flies into your garden, plant alyssum, buckwheat and parsley throughout your garden.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Praying Mantis

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

With over 2,000 different types of species, the praying mantis can be found in southern and eastern parts of the United States. They can grow up to 6 inches in length and have 5 eyes (2 compound; 3 simple). The praying mantis can morph its body into awkward positions; along with camouflage themselves to brown, green, or gray for safety, and can spot any movement up to 60 feet away. They may bite as a defense, but carry no poison or risk of infection.

Organic gardeners rely on the praying mantis for biological control in their garden. Praying Mantis’ eats EVERYTHING, including harmful bugs not wanted in your garden as well as beneficial bugs needed in your garden.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Firefly

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

Fireflies are actually beetles with wings. They are over 130 different species in North America alone. Their size ranges from half an inch to an inch long and are brown to black in color with red highlights around the head and neck. Adult fireflies attract their mates by illuminating (bioluminescence) their bottom half while larvae use their glow to rid predators. Larvae are distasteful and toxic to consume, but are also beneficial in your garden.

Fireflies can be found in hot, humid climates during North American summer months and are beneficial in your garden to help pest control. They eat earthworms, insects, and larvae while the firefly larvae; known as glowworms, feast on snails and slugs.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Worms

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

There are over 2,500 different types of Earthworms throughout the world. They vary in size anywhere from 12 inches to 8-feet-long depending on region. They have no teeth and have 5 hearts. In the United States, Earthworms are coveted in gardens. Organic gardeners, especially, depend on their help to maintain their garden.

Earthworms help aerate and fertilize soil year round by tunneling through the garden in search of food. They break down leaves, wood, stems, etc., then turn around and excrete nutrients recycled from their meal. All the while they are allowing roots to grow and stretch underneath. Earthworms are also a great source of nutrients for different bird and fish species.

By using organic compost, and avoiding pesticide use, this will allow earthworms to stick around throughout the off-seasoned months.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Ladybugs

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

But not all bugs are harmful to our gardens and some can be very beneficial to our flowers and plants. One popular beneficial bug is the ladybug. They are harmless to all plant life and help decrease bad bug infestation. Ladybugs feed from soft-bodied insects such as mealy bugs, spider mites, and aphids. They feast on Aphids, a type of plant lice (adults can consume up to 100 a day of aphids), so with the help from ladybugs, your garden may have a chance of survival.

To attract ladybugs into your garden you can plant cup-shaped flowers such as tulips and lilies, as well as, other plant life like angelica, dill, geraniums and white cosmos. You can also purchase them as larvae and place on plant. Make sure to use selective pesticides for treatment and moisten plant with water in order to keep ladybugs interested in your garden – not the neighbors.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden HoneyBees

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

Honeybee (Hymnenoptera)

Unlike the bumble bee, honeybees are able to sting. Their bodies have the same yellow and black striped pattern used as a defense mechanism, but are half the size. They are considered the best pollinators because each colony carries thousands of bees at a time.

Honeybees are scattered throughout the US, but have become scarce in the last couple of years. Some claim the Earth’s environmental stresses and plant mite infestation to be some of the reasons. To help attract them back into your garden, plant some of their favorites: Apple trees, clover, plum trees and sunflowers to name a few.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Dragonfly

Posted on September 19, 2011 by theGardener

There are over 450 different species of Odonata in North America. A dragonfly ranges anywhere from less than an inch to six inches in length and vary in an array of iridescent colors (blue, green, red, violet and yellow). The long, heavy-bodied, narrow body shape compliments its 6 legs, compound eyes, and four transparent wings.

Dragonflies lay their eggs in or near water and begin their larvae state. The “nymphs” are aquatic and can live underwater up to three years, depending on species, and molt numerous times before surfacing. Then, the dragonfly sheds its final layer exposing its wings.

Benefits: Dragonflies have excellent eyesight and are able to catch their food while flying not allowing their inability to walk hinder mealtime. They frequent large bodies of water (lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands) and help control garden pests, including aphids (ants, bees, flies, butterflies, and mosquitoes).