What’s eating my plants? Here at the Garden Center we’re getting this question more and more. Most of you by now have gotten your garden planted and growing, and with growth come pests. While we’ve always had treatments like Neem Oil and BT to help control them, we’ve now got beneficial insects to help round out your organic pest control.
Ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens)
Ladybugs are largely used to feed on aphids and other small soft-bodied pests like mealybugs, mites and whiteflies.
Green Lacewings (Chrysoperia rufilabris)
Like ladybugs lacewing larve feed on soft-bodied pests like aphids, mealybugs, thrips, spider mites, and whiteflies. But, it gets better! Adult lacewings are also excellent pollinators for your garden. They feed on pollen and nectar helping your plants set fruit.
Beneficial Nematodes (Heterohabditis bacteriophora)
Nematodes are microscopic worms that seek out and destroy over 200 kinds of soil dwelling insects. While this variety prefers the grubs of Japanese Beetles, Cutworms, and Cucumber Beetles, they will attack and parasitize all other forms of soil dwelling insects as well. Other examples include Ants, Armyworms, Beetles, Black Vine Beetle, Borers, Cabbage Maggots, Weevils, Caterpillars, Codling Moths, Cutworms, Webworms, Fleas, Thrips, Termites, Grubs, Pill Bugs, Loopers, Fungus Gnats, Masked Chafers, and Flies.
Praying Mantids (Tenodera aridfolia sinensis)
As seen on TV, the Praying Mantis will eat any insect it can catch except for Ladybugs which aren’t very tasty. These are seasonal bugs who can’t be used after August as they won’t hatch in the cold.
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