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BY GEORGE EDGAR
On
The University
of Nebraska-Lincoln has published two Extension Circulars with beautiful
color pictures of beneficial insects. When I printed them off from the
computer my wife and I were surprised at how many of these we have been
killing because we thought they were hurting our plants. To get your
copy of these two Extension Circulars go to your
Many gardeners
are going after Aphids with the insecticide “Sevin” (carbaryl) only to
discover a couple weeks later the Aphids are worse than ever. The reason
is that “Sevin” and many other insecticides including bifenthrin, and
permethrin (Eight), will kill the Aphids but also are deadly to many
beneficial insects such as bees, other pollinators, and “Lady Bugs” that
eat Aphids. If Aphids are a problem for you, start out using
“Insecticidal Soap” rather than a harsh chemical that kills everything.
Don’t use dishwashing liquid and/or detergent as a substitute as the
dishwashing liquid has a rinsing agent so the soap will rinse off your
dishes and glasses and the insecticidal soap does not wash off as easy.
Also many Insecticidal Soaps are made from oils from the “Neem Tree”
that also has insecticidal qualities.
I get very
upset with the commercials I hear on TV and radio and see in the
newspapers and magazines that brag about their insecticide and how many
insects they will kill above and below the ground. I also get upset when
everyone advertises their 4, 5, or 6 step lawn program that
automatically includes a general insecticide to kill all the insects in
your lawn. The only insecticide I put on my lawn is a “preventative”
grub control containing “imadicloprid” (Merit). In most parts of
Don’t pollute
the environment with other applications on the lawn unless you have an
insect problem. And next year when you purchase your lawn products or
sign up for a lawn service, don’t automatically buy an insect
application. Save your money and buy an application of winter lawn food
with iron. Your lawn will thank you!!!
A caller to a
garden program said she sprayed her tomatoes with “Home Defense”. This
is a good product for use in the house. However, she did not know what
the insect was, and did not read the label on the container to see if it
was ok for use on tomatoes outside, or if it is, how long the user has
to wait before harvest. The
both the entomologist and hostess of the program recommended she take
off all the tomatoes and not use them. She lost her first fruits because
she did not get a proper identification of the pest and did not use the
right product, on the right plant, at the right time.
Before you use
any pesticide be sure you (1) make a positive ID of the bug or disease,
(2) use the least harmful control available, and (3) read the label and
follow the manufacturers recommended directions.
An entomologist
told me that only 3% of the insects in the world are destructive. The
entomologist told me that the other 97% of the insects can probably be
classified as follows:
·
Nuisance
insects
·
Neutral or
incidentals
·
Beneficials
A good example
of a
nuisance insect is the
Boxelder Bug. This bug does not eat your plants, it does not bite you.
When it gets into your home it does not eat clothes, drapes, or
furniture. These bugs are just a nuisance and can be best cleaned up
with a vacuum. Mini-vacs are a tremendous advance in household pest
control technology. And no chemicals are needed. Many homeowners do not
like these nuisance insects, but they are not destructive.
Neutral or incidental bugs
are just that. They exist in our environment but are not chewing on our
plants, they do not transmit diseases, nor do they bite us or our pets.
Some, like butterflies, can be very pretty and are prized for their
aesthetic value.
The beneficial insects can
be further classified as
·
Decomposers, that break down organic matter, help turn yard and kitchen
scraps into compost, and are necessary for the health of the soil in our
yard and garden;
·
Pollinators, such as bees, flies, beetles, and other flower-visiting
insects;
·
Predators
and parasites, including lady beetles, green lacewings, syrphid flies,
ground beetles, parasitoid wasps, and other insects that eat aphids,
grubs, caterpillars, as well as other yard and garden pests. The
parasitoids lay their eggs in, on, or near many undesirable insects,
their eggs eventually hatching and the larva feeding on the host, soon
killing it.
In Part #2 of
this series, I will write more about insects, controls without the use
of chemicals, and have a list of references. Remember the number one
rule of gardening:
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