In this video, I demonstrate how I put good bugs back into the garden so they can eat bad bugs like aphids and other pests.
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I use what is called an insectary. It’s an area I set aside near my garden where I grow wildflowers. I purchased a wide-variety blend of seeds for perennial and annual plants and flowers that attract particular insects that are either predatory or pollinators. The more diverse the insectary is, the wider range of insects you will attract.
Before I began using one I had problems with a variety of pests. I tried non-chemical solutions but it wasn’t enough, and time and labor in applying them. With an insectary you are letting Nature do the work for you. Either you’ll bring in more pollinators, attract predators that feed on the pests, or even in some cases the pests will be more attracted to the nectar in the insectary, where they will find a predator waiting in ambush.
My first year with the insectary showed an amazing difference. I still saw some pests but significantly fewer, as well as the damage they cause being reduced. The second year was even better and I attribute that to the insectary already being established. Predatory insects had over-wintered, perennials already had established roots.
The third year I had noticed a difference in the insectary. One good thing about the plants in the insectary is that they go through entire life cycles and produce seeds, which propagate themselves. The issue I noticed is that some plants propagate quicker and better than others. So, while you began with great diversity in plants to attract a wider range of beneficial insects, over time some plants choke others out. Because of this, I would suggest tilling the insectary on the 3rd or 4th year to begin again fresh.
I find a praying mantis nearly every time I mow the back lawn. They go straight to the garden! Hopefully eating the squash bugs for me…
Organic pesticide lol
They dress much more like Ladies than today's misguided females.
Lady bugs bring me so much joy. They have been protecting my pumpkins from scale. Love those hard working little bad asses
We have yellow laddy bugs here and they eat all my squash leaves and green pepper leavsles
I do the same thing. Honey you are a real sweetheart!
Is it just me or are ladybugs overrated? This spring I've seen like 6 or 7 different species of predators/parasitoids of aphids. They all did an amazing job but ladybugs were nearly absent.
So, in any case, don't forget about all the other beenficial insect friends, some of them almost too tiny to be seen by the naked eye. 🙂
Yellow are not good bugs.
Pro-life sis.
Tell em. And white mites on my basil!
It definately is worth the trouble with all that beautiful growth!
I'm sure they appreciate the effort, but if you knew how ineffective adult lady bugs were as predators, you might save yourself some time. The larvae stage is a much better predator for the small pest like mites and such, but there's a lot more predators I'd rather have in my garden than them. Green lace wings are like way more effective. Assassin bugs, predator mites, etc
Actually there are some lady bug that actually a pest, bee ware of some of the lady bug
I was fortunate to rescue a carpenter bee from drowning the other day!
Did your ladybugs arrive in your garden naturally, or did you have to buy them?
CBF
You can make them (Lady Bugs) houses too. They are like bird houses, just look it up. We have them everywhere.
Bravo to you! I would do the same.
I just found
Two different praying mantises both males and one is on my avocado and the other is in my Goji berry and they just hang out doing what they do
Very informative! Thanks!