Beneficial Insects

[opabinia51]

Apology accepted. Don't worry about it. We gardners quite often dig ourselves into holes.....reminds me of when I was planting a Eucalyptus tree.... my boss said that I might as well had dug to China!!!

Yes, I just realized that this recollection has no context.... I had dug a hole so deep that well.... I'm 5'6" and only my torso would show if I stood in the hole... so, like I said: we gardners often dig ourselves into holes.

[Newt]

Newt

[The Helpful Gardener]

heeheehee

And you say WE'RE hilarious, Newt...

That cedar thing still rears its head; what plant are the bee people excluding from housing? Red Cedar (J. virginiana) provides enough wood for closets to keep moths away, so maybe that's our bee killer? What are you west coasters calling cedar? Still lots of unanswered questions; and I HATE unanswered questions...

Scott

[opabinia51]

We call Junipers; Junipers but, I am now curious as to what the botanical name of what we call Cedar primadellas (sp?). The only two Junipers that I am aware of around here are Japanese Juniper (used for bonsai) and the Juniper that everyone has in their gardens. Neither would be useful for lumber.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Red cedar is definitely a tree, as is Rocky mountain juniper (J. scopulorum)...

[opabinia51]

Mason Bees

Yes, put up my Mason Bee blocks aka houses last February. Was looking at them the other week and a bunch of the holes have been used by the bees to lay eggs. So, next year I will have a bumper crop of pollinators in my garden. Look forward to it.

[jstr12]

They attract fruit flies, a few days after you put them in the compost bin you'll have your own personal swarm!

jstr

[uggabugga]

I was so happy to see this particular tomato hornworm, I just had to take a picture of it.

[url=https://img489.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000206rb0.jpg][img]https://img489.imageshack.us/img489/976/1000206rb0.th.jpg[/img][/url]


[url=https://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000205he1.jpg][img]https://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4765/1000205he1.th.jpg[/img][/url]

how can I encourage more of these, outside of not killing this particular caterpillar?

[peachguy]

I have houses for mason bee houses but I don't seem to have any bees in the houses what is wrong and how can I attract them. My houses are just old boards with holes in them.

[opabinia51]

I believe that there is a plant described above that attract mason bees. One that I can think of off the top of my head is Heather.

But, check out the beneficial insects list, there are plants that will attract the insects listed next the insect names.

[doccat5]

Fruit flies do not bother coffee grounds. Just bury them in the layers, the worms love em. That and black and white newspaper, no colored ads.

[TheLorax]

peachguy, maybe you can find a source to purchase mason bees buried here somewhere-
https://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Beekeeping/weblinks.htm

Which mason bees are native to where you garden and where did you place your bee blocks?

Here's a thread on bees that might be helpful-
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7027

Found this mega site of links that might help you track down information on bees for Ontario here-
https://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/links.html

Fruit Flies are my friend. Particularly when they are in my composter. I place my Pinguicula along the edge of the composter. Nothing but the best for my baby pings! Yum yum!

[Jess]

I tried the original link that you posted on here Opa and it no longer works. I have also noticed that the beneficial insect links have lots of information but no pictures.
I found these so thought I would add them as I find visuals are very helpful.

https://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/color/cotton/benefic.jpg

https://www.bayercropscience.co.uk/content.pestspotter/766/769/e-Tools/Pests%20Spotter/Aphid%20Predators.mspx?fn=output

https://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/insects/naboidea.htm

https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/pests/e1225-1.htm

If you have a good link please add to this.

[opabinia51]

Hi Jess, this an old thread thanks for the updates.

[applestar]

Here's a link to an archived copy of the old web page that Opa had linked to.

This is a REALLY cool site, opabinia.

[opabinia51]

Very interesting site, I'll have to sit down and read it when I have time. Thanks for the links.

[applestar]

My potato leaves are developing brown splotches. They eventually yellow, brown and hang down/fall off. I'm not sure if this is part of the natural potato foliage browning -- it seems a little early to me. In case it's a disease of some kind, I started to clip them off and dispose of them -- yeah I'm GETTING to the beneficial insect part -- and a bunch of WHITE FLIES started flying. Now convinced that THEY are the culprit, I was going over possible remedies in my mind, brushing the top of the potato foliage to disturb the white flies, WHEN A 2" PRAYING MANTIS scuttled away. What do you know, someone was already on the job.

I should have more faith in the process.

[gixxerific]

Wow! yet another extraordinary thread on THG. I feel Like I should be paying tuition.

I have been learning about the good and the bad about the bug world and companion planting. I have bookmarked several of the sites and printed some of them as well for reference. This will help further my eductaion, I wish I had something more to add other than....

....Thanks

[Steven Daniels]

You should add comfrey and stinging nettles to your list of dynamic accumulators. I believe chamomille fits the bill like-wise. If it turns out
that chamomille doesn't meet the standards for being classified as a
dynamic accumulator, it makes the grade as an excellent companion plant.
Most of the people I've come in contact with call it " The Plant Doctor".

[applestar]

Here's an excellent native bee bulletin from Rutgers:
https://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/NativeBeeBenefits2009.pdf

[applestar]

Adding University of California IPM Natural Enemies Gallery link:
https://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/index.html
They have good photos for adult as well as eggs, larval, and pupal stages of the beneficials.

[Sage Hermit]

Call me strange but I see the slugs and the ants and the aphids and the birds and the critters all doing their job. I have almost no use for unnatural herbicides but gee golly gosh I need some mosquito and tick repellent. When we talk about getting rid of insects no one does it better than their natural predator. For 2 years I could see the beetles in my soil from the past and I want to know really how big a problem they are for you when you meet the plant's basic growing specifications properly. Seems to me the science of Insect Control has been made complicated with the many ways to actually do it and it needs a more simplified and practical approach. Example:
Problem with Spider mites drop in assassin bugs.
Put all the time and energy into figuring out the requirements for balance and sustainability in that approach as you would in approving a new chemical! Will the assassin bugs get out of hand? Who will eat the assassin beetle if they over crowd your space? Its like adding cinnimon to control mold flies.

Perhaps I am too organic in my vision. Its what works for me for now though. Wish you all the best.

[Sage Hermit]

Mason Bee Video

[applestar]

About a week ago, I realized I had forgotten to tie up one of the container tomato vines to the stake, and they had fallen over from the weight of the green fruits and were floundering in the mint patch.

When I gently lifted them up to stake them propery, I realized the situation made the foliage vulnerable to a massive aphid attack.

After initial ire wore off, I looked them over carefully to assess the situation.... Well, it turned out that almost every leaf sported an aphid mummy or two

Confident that the situation was under control and the Garden Patrol was already on the job, I simply tied up the vines and made sure to water the plant consistently so as not to put it under stress.

This week, there is no sign of the aphids.

[applestar]

This mama looks almost ready to lay eggs!
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/3C121C07-369B-4D63-B6D4-7524120FC0ED-25423-0000119B1F0D6183.jpg[/img]

[shadylane]

Tachinid Flies





They are very benefical to have in your garden. You can recogonize them by their dark bristle hairs that stick up on their botom.

They eat nectar, honeydew from aphids and scale insects. Not only do they eat flowers, nectar and pollen but come to such flowers to find hosts to attach or lay their already fertilized held egg onto them. These hosts or garden pests range from beetles, caterpillars, grasshopper, and cabbage worms.

The Tachinid flies have potential use as a biological control agents, but most attempts have been dismal failures.

By attract the Tachinid fly to your garden plant plenty of nectar rich flowers such as Shastas, Yarrow, Coneflower and white clover for a beginning.

[Artemesia]

A native small bush I have found that attracts parasitoids especially well:
Grass-leaved Goldentop (Euthamia sp.)

[imafan26]

Fennel, marigolds, nasturtiums, alyssum, and lavender, plus a host of nearly ever blooming flowers are the main plants that I use to attract beneficial insects. Fennel, marigolds and nasturtiums are trap plants but also attract beneficial insects like the ladybugs, hover flies, parasitic wasps, and lacewings. The flower heads of fennel and other parsley relatives as well as basil, sunflowers, and the nectar producing flowers attract honeybees, carpenter bees and provide nectar for beneficials as well.

[applestar]

I was excited to recognize having seen most of these in my garden. One exception is velvet ant....

https://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/case ... litary.htm

NARROW-WAISTED SOLITARY WASPS
Critter Files/Insects/Wasps, Ants, & Bees/Solitary Wasps
By Katja Seltmann and Blake Newton
University of Kentucky Department of Entomology


Common Kentucky Solitary Wasps:
Thread-Waisted Wasp
Thread-Waisted
Wasp»
Cicada Killer Wasp
Cicada Killer»
Spider Wasp
Spider Wasp»
Potter Wasp
Potter Wasp»
Velvet Ant
Velvet Ant»
Scoliid Wasp
Scoliid Wasp»
Tiphiid Wasp
Tiphiid Wasp»
Ichnuemon Wasp
Ichnuemon Wasp»
Braconid Wasp
Braconid Wasp»
Chalcidid Wasp
Chalcidid Wasp»
Cuckoo Wasp
Cuckoo Wasp»
Megaspilid Wasp
Megaspilid Wasp»
Pelecinid Wasp
Pelecinid Wasp»


TAXONOMY
KINGDOM: Animalia | PHYLUM: Arthropoda | CLASS: Insecta | ORDER : Hymenoptera | SUBORDER: Aprocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees)


WHAT ARE SOLITARY WASPS?
LIFE CYCLE
ECOLOGY
PEST STATUS
COMMON KENTUCKY SOLITARY WASPS
COLLECTING & PHOTOGRAPHY
SOLITARY WASP FACTS
MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND FOLKLORE

[Mr green]

Bees of all kinds and wasps indeed...

But I wanna make a shoutout for my last seasons most important insects! ANTS! They saved my gooseberry plants without me having to lift a finger! Thats gardening folks!

And most people try to kill them and get rid of them.

[rainbowgardener]

Tell us more! How did the ants save your gooseberries and from what?

[Mr green]

Well I though the ants did, but as I'm reading on the subject it seems like they would do the opposite in my said case and actually defend them. I'm a bit stumbled, because the green aphids (I atleast believed at the time it was) was gone soon after the presence of the ants, and it looked like they were actually eating them, this could probably be explained with that they feasted on honeydew.

Does all different ants have the same behavior as far as this goes?

So I'm starting to think I was not seeing what I thought I did, if so other helpful insects must have helped me get rid of both the ants and the bugs, without me knowing their presence... Or is there any other green bug that attack plants. that ants actually feed on?

I must add I'm not an expert to id insects, specially smaller ones like most pest ones are, as I havnt seen them much in my garden over all.

[applestar]

One possible explanation is that they moved their "herd" to another plant. Maybe the quality of honeydew from your gooseberries was not up to their standard....

Possibly, it went like this --

Head Aphidherd: For the love of $&*#%! ...take a day off sick and the whole place goes to the leaf litter! Who decided to put the prime honeydew producers on THIS lousy pasture? Was it YOU, Green-antenna? Taste that and tell me you think this is primo-honeydew? WHAT will our Queen think? Hurry up and get them all moved to THAT plant. Got it?

[Mr green]

Sounds like a very scientific explenation! Ill take it!

[applestar]

The Garden Patrol is assembling, and I found out where at least some of the praying mantis babies came from. I had attached this ootheca/egg casing (that had been on a plant I moved inside for the winter) to the metal trellis on the southeast side of the house and the metal had heated up enough in the sun to encourage some of them to emerge. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the wind had whipped up and blurred the telltale bits hanging from the bottom when I took the photo.

[applestar]

I thought this quote from another thread was worth mentioning here, too --

Subject: Neonicotinoids kiling bees?

I think everybody knows now that the bees are in trouble. No one really knows the cause of colony collapse disorder and it may actually not be just one thing but a combination of things that are affecting the bees. Loss of habitat, pesticide use and the main culprit of those are humans.

[...]

People are the real culprit in the decline of bees and other species, but people are not going to go away anytime soon. So, what is a body to do. First, don't spray if you don't have to. If you do, don't spray when plants are in flower or bud and do not let plants that have been sprayed bloom until the residues are gone. Use hand methods, beneficial insects, and select resistant plants. If you have to spray try to stay away from systemic insecticides. It means you will have to spray and examine plants more often with contact sprays. Plant a variety of nectar and pollen plants to attract beneficial insects and provide habitat for beneficial insects and animals.
Remember that all pesticides are toxic. Natural pesticides can be very toxic to non-target organisms and are not always the best alternative. Although natural pesticides come from organic sources it does not make them any less lethal. They are usually short acting but have to be applied more often increasing the risk of exposure to the humans applying them.
https://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4 ... ticid2.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 175510.htm
https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom/organictext.html

[luis]

Bees are one of the most beneficial insects we could have in a garden. We cannot have a garden and be self-sufficient if we don't have them around. It's a good idea to attract native bees into the garden, they may not make honey but they can help pollinate the flowers. If you want more bees in your garden then it is better to avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides.

[imafan26]

Without bees half the produce in the grocery store would be gone or be very labor intensive to produce because someone would have to hand pollinate everything. That would probably make a lot of the produce cost a lot more.

[john gault]

I have no shortage of bees in my yard. I wouldn't be surprised for the honeybees to build a nest in my yard with all the different food sources. Although, I'm sure the native bees wouldn't like that, which I also have countless numbers visiting my yard every year.

[applestar]

I think the silverlining in the honeybee crisis is the increase in awareness of using harmful pesticides and new guidelines for keeping the honeybees safer. Other Garden Patrol/beneficial insects are also being spared too -- at least when their presence coincides with the bees.

Hopefully gardener's are seeing new bugs to ID and differentiate between good and bad.