Beneficial Bugs.... How To Get Them To Eat At Your House!   

Just a bit more about bees and other insects, pesticides and how you can do your part to keep our fruit and vegetable choices as varied as possible!

In my Facebook post I mentioned that pesticides/chemicals can wreak havoc with bees and other insects and their systems. I said that it can cause death, affect their ability to fly, navigate, forage, mate and feed themselves. 

One of the biggest issues we have currently (or so I believe) is that many of the pesticides use a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids. These chemicals are found under several names, in several products and can cause varying degrees of harm not only to the insects (not just talking about bees here) but to ourselves if we get them in our eyes, inhale them or even absorb them through our skin. (There's a reason there is a notation to use eye protection, long sleeves, etc. on pesticides and herbicides.) At the end of this article I will give a short list of neonicotinoids and the names you may find them under.

Okay, now for the GOOD news! You can actually increase the beneficial insect population with planting a variety of flowers & plants in your yard. Growing a variety of flowers in your yard attracts the beneficial insects that will help keep the undesirable insect population down if not eliminate (at least for a season... let's be realistic!) the harmful visitors so that the damage to your garden, both edible and ornamental will fare better.

When I say a variety I mean more than one type of flowering plant. They don't all have to be blooming all the time. Some insects look to the same plant for different uses. They use the pollen/nectar to survive, they may use the leaves and stems as food or to lay eggs or for sustenance for the larvae once they hatch. Use plants that are annuals (one season, start to finish) and perennials (all year, but may only flower at a specific time) and long term shrubs trees and ground covers. 

Add an insect hotel to your yard and it will help keep the good guys around a bit longer. Also create a water source, whether a small pot saucer that you fill with pebbles and fill it with water when you are

in your garden. Keep it small and shallow. You want it to dry out so you don’t have standing water and attracts mosquitoes and their larvae. 

You can also import the good guys to your yard. A resource is a company called Arbico Organics. They have very good information as to what their beneficial insects will help with and the prices are really good. Be aware though that you can’t import these guys as a preventive measure. If the bugs aren’t there for them to eat, they won’t stay. Same goes for ladybugs. Don’t bother buying them unless you have food for them. You wouldn’t invite a friend over for lunch but when they get them you tell them you have no food as yet but may…eventually… have food. They won’t stay and neither will your bugs!

If you have a small space and want to dedicate it solely to vegetables and herbs, I

Basil going to flower

understand. You can still add the flowering (and edible) plants to your veggie & herb garden by using them along the perimeter of the garden plot, plant annuals throughout your garden plot (yup, right next to the edible plants!) and if you allow some of your herbs to go to flower (buy extra) they will also be a beneficial attractant. Not only does this method of inter planting work well for bringing in the good guys, but it will also help keep weeds down, keep soil moist by shading or even covering it (depending on what you plant) and if you use certain cover crops, you will be adding nutrition to the soil. I will cover that in another blog… soon!

When all is said and done, being mindful of what you plant, what you add to the air/soil/water in your yard will ultimately determine how healthy your yard, and you, will be.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact me and I can help you improve not only your soil but your garden yield as well.

Happy planting!                                                

Large insect hotel using pallets

Mary

Neonicotinoids: Names they go by

Imidacloprid

Clothianidin

Acetamiprid

Thiacloprid

Thiamethoxam

Fipronil

Endosulfan

Spinosad

Synthetic pyrethroids.. such as

Deltamethrin, Fluvinate and Permethrin

 Resources:

 www.arbico-organics.com

http://inhabitat.com/diy-how-to-build-an-insect-hotel-from-found-materials - good resource for ideas and info.

 Small insect hotel