Anybody buy good guy bugs? - Page 3

defineaproblem · March 1, 2013

You have just given me a new project for summer.
I really cannot answer you, here is why. Most people just go to the list of plants for beneficial insect you can find on the Internet. These are generally nectar and pollen plants. They tend to be small flowered like fennel and dill so that the small insect can feed on them.
For example lacewing are attracted mainly by Asteraceae – e.g. calliopsis (Coreopsis), cosmos (Cosmos), sunflowers (Helianthus) and dandelion (Taraxacum) – and Apiaceae such as dill
(Anethum) or angelica (Angelica). I do plant a certain percent in these types of plant. Each insect has a habitat and food it needs to live.

For example Ambush Bugs - family, Phymatidae are associated with goldenrod in late summer and early fall. I know of few people who plant goldenrod but it is common in my area so I leave a few growing on the edges of the garden area.

Now this is the part that makes it hard. I have a number of other “weeds” I leave in my garden area. I do this because they harbor aphids, and other pests. I have found that insects are plant specific. They populate like mad on a certain weed but do not move to my vegetables. So I work on the buggiest plants full of red aphids, black aphids, etc. Unfortunately, I never gave much thought to identifying my weeds or the exact insect I am farming.

I will have to work on this over the summer. But I can tell you that if I have enough bad insects the good insects will come. Many will breed and the overall population of good insects will increase in this limited area because I have greatly increased the available food. So I cannot really give you anything except the common plants to attract beneficial insect until later this summer.

I can say that some insects like Assassin bugs, Predatory mites, and Snakeflies are more woody plant insects. I have these because I have fruit trees on one side of my garden area, woody area on another, and misc. berries and small fruits in pots in the garden area.

I will work on this over the summer and post. I am not sure if anyone besides myself is interested in raising aphids J

defineaproblem · March 1, 2013

Check out
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest...ary_plants.htm
It has alot of good information on this.

Redbaron · March 1, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by defineaproblem

I will work on this over the summer and post. I am not sure if anyone besides myself is interested in raising aphids

Funny sounding the way you worded it!

I actually am, in a way, by a different method.

I don't just "let" weeds grow in my crop rows, but what I do is leave the between the rows walkway areas uncultivated in any way. Just growing the grass and clover etc that grows there. Then I no til mulch the areas for crops. In those crop rows, I plant useful companion crops like herbs and flowers. This way between the unmulched lawn and the mulched but multi species crop rows, I have several opportunities for a wide range of healthy biodiversity, and that is what the predators need.

Stvrob · March 1, 2013

So you all don't clip the wings of your ladybugs?

Redbaron · March 1, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

So you all don't clip the wings of your ladybugs?

defineaproblem · March 2, 2013

Actually I do not work for wide range of healthy biodiversity. What I am doing is more along the lines of ecosystem gardening. Many aphid species are monophagous (that is, they feed on only one plant species). So the plants I am selected are buggy as can be. When I create supports I tend to use local wood with bark and lashings because some of the spiders and insects like to hang out on this local material. I create places for water or moisture because some insects need freely available water daily. So what I am really doing is putting together a contrived ecosystem that will have a high level of prey and proper conditions for predatory spiders, insects, etc. It works along the lines of if you build it they will come. Also, if I already have a high level of prey insects then the predators are more likely to have a high enough population to respond to changes in prey because of the vegetables. Otherwise the pests have to reach a certain mass and then the prey population can increase to respond. But the prey can do a lot of damage before the predators get a high enough population to do any good.

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March 1, 2013	#31
defineaproblem Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: cincinnati Posts: 13	You have just given me a new project for summer. I really cannot answer you, here is why. Most people just go to the list of plants for beneficial insect you can find on the Internet. These are generally nectar and pollen plants. They tend to be small flowered like fennel and dill so that the small insect can feed on them. For example lacewing are attracted mainly by Asteraceae – e.g. calliopsis (Coreopsis), cosmos (Cosmos), sunflowers (Helianthus) and dandelion (Taraxacum) – and Apiaceae such as dill (Anethum) or angelica (Angelica). I do plant a certain percent in these types of plant. Each insect has a habitat and food it needs to live. For example Ambush Bugs - family, Phymatidae are associated with goldenrod in late summer and early fall. I know of few people who plant goldenrod but it is common in my area so I leave a few growing on the edges of the garden area. Now this is the part that makes it hard. I have a number of other “weeds” I leave in my garden area. I do this because they harbor aphids, and other pests. I have found that insects are plant specific. They populate like mad on a certain weed but do not move to my vegetables. So I work on the buggiest plants full of red aphids, black aphids, etc. Unfortunately, I never gave much thought to identifying my weeds or the exact insect I am farming. I will have to work on this over the summer. But I can tell you that if I have enough bad insects the good insects will come. Many will breed and the overall population of good insects will increase in this limited area because I have greatly increased the available food. So I cannot really give you anything except the common plants to attract beneficial insect until later this summer. I can say that some insects like Assassin bugs, Predatory mites, and Snakeflies are more woody plant insects. I have these because I have fruit trees on one side of my garden area, woody area on another, and misc. berries and small fruits in pots in the garden area. I will work on this over the summer and post. I am not sure if anyone besides myself is interested in raising aphids J

March 1, 2013	#34
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	So you all don't clip the wings of your ladybugs?

March 2, 2013	#36
defineaproblem Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: cincinnati Posts: 13	Actually I do not work for wide range of healthy biodiversity. What I am doing is more along the lines of ecosystem gardening. Many aphid species are monophagous (that is, they feed on only one plant species). So the plants I am selected are buggy as can be. When I create supports I tend to use local wood with bark and lashings because some of the spiders and insects like to hang out on this local material. I create places for water or moisture because some insects need freely available water daily. So what I am really doing is putting together a contrived ecosystem that will have a high level of prey and proper conditions for predatory spiders, insects, etc. It works along the lines of if you build it they will come. Also, if I already have a high level of prey insects then the predators are more likely to have a high enough population to respond to changes in prey because of the vegetables. Otherwise the pests have to reach a certain mass and then the prey population can increase to respond. But the prey can do a lot of damage before the predators get a high enough population to do any good.