The Bugs and the Bees The Insects You Actually Want in Your Garden…
By Jason Cook
But aren’t bugs bad? And gross? Why would we want them around? Beneficial insects are an integral part of an organic garden. That mouthwatering tomato, that crisp juicy melon, those peppers that add some zest to your dish, all are thanks to the presence of these little miracle workers. They pollinate your flowers, prey on pest insects and complete the natural eco-system of your garden. So how do we bring these guests to the party and keep them there long term? Let’s take a look at how beneficial insects do their job and how to attract them to your garden.
Pollinators such as the honey bee make it possible for plants to set fruit. Though we tend to think of fruit from our own perspective as the plant’s gift to us, it is actually an essential component of its reproductive cycle, resulting in seeds that sprout into new plants. Without pollinators, many plant species would become extinct. And the plants aren’t the only ones who benefit from this process: Bees rely on plants for their survival. Pollen is an essential food source for early development in their young and nectar provides nutrition for bees in all stages of life. They also use propolis (a plant resin also called “bee glue”) in the building and maintaining of the hive. In doing so, they transfer pollen either from male flower to female flower (in squash for example) or from stamen to pistil (as with tomatoes) and the reproductive cycle is set into motion.
Predatory insects take a more aggressive approach. As far as these guys are concerned, your garden is a battlefield. They kill pests in two ways: eating outright and parasitizing for later consumption. The first is as simple as it sounds, they just eat them. These insects have a taste for bugs that bug you, and they’re always hungry. A single ladybug, for example, can eat as many as 5000 aphids in its short lifetime. The second variety is a bit more gruesome. These insects either implant their eggs within or attach them to the outside of a host. When the young emerge, they feed killing the pest and propagating the beneficial species. Now that we know why these insects are beneficial, how do we invite them to the buffet? The number one, most important thing you can do for these bugs is to not use pesticides! Aside from the health concerns and environmental consequences, many pesticides kill both the good and bad insects in your garden indiscriminately. And when the pests come back, and they will come back, the beneficialswon’t be there to take care of them. In the end you simply create a dependence on the pesticides and interrupt the ecology of your garden. So what should you do? Pollinators are relatively simple as flowers tend to do the attraction work for you. But predatory insects need just a little bit of forethought on your part to thrive. Just as humans can’t survive on food alone, these insects need shelter as well as a water source.
It’s important to have diversity in your plantings. Not only does it make for a healthier garden overall, but different predators have different living requirements. For instance, some crawling insects rarely, if ever, actually climb in search of food, so they like to have low growing plants such as Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano under which to prowl. Stepping stones
22 Sustainable Online Magazine
Plants that attract beneficial insects:
Annuals
Dill (Anethumgraveolens) Bachelor Button/Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Sweet Alyssum (Lobulariamaritima) Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) Basils (Ocimumbasilicum) Calendula/Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) Borage (Borago officinalis) Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
Perennials
Fennel (Foeniculumvulgare) Feverfew (Chrysanthemumparthenium) Common Yarrow (Achilleamillefolium) Anise Hyssop (Anastache foeniculum) Lavenders (Lavandula)
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