Welcoming Beneficial Insects to the Garden

By wildflowers
September 2, 2011

Nature is filled with a wide variety of beneficial insects whose diet consists mainly of the little pests that invade your gardens. Yes, there really are "good bugs" and they are a great way to combat the pests that are ready and waiting to devour and destroy your plants. Some of these good guys may have been hanging around and you didn't realize they were actually keeping pests off of your favorite flowers or vegetables. Let's take a look at some of these beneficial predatory insects so you can learn who your allies are.

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Sep 5, 2011 3:25 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Carole
Clarksville, TN (Zone 6b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages Plant Identifier I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Garden Ideas: Master Level Cat Lover Birds Region: Tennessee Echinacea
We do have a good population of butterflies so I will kill the hornworm after I've taken a few more pictures for education's sake. The Brachnid wasps always get most of the BST cats later in the Fall, it seems. The only way I can guarantee they won't is if I cage them. But they are slippery little critters. Hilarious!
I garden for the pollinators.
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Oct 4, 2014 9:24 AM CST
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)
Rabbit Keeper Bee Lover Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Butterflies Hummingbirder
Dog Lover Birds Plant and/or Seed Trader Bulbs Echinacea Irises
wildflowers said:Next, I'd like to talk about some good choices for plants to attract the beneficial bugs to your gardens.


Did you eventually do this?
Link me?
SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde...
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Oct 4, 2014 12:46 PM CST
Name: Christine
North East Texas (Zone 7b)
Shine Your Light!
Heirlooms Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Bee Lover Herbs
Butterflies Dragonflies Birds Cat Lover Dog Lover Garden Photography
*Blush* No, CritterG, I seem to have dropped the ball. But thank you for the reminder.
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb

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Oct 4, 2014 2:50 PM CST
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)
Rabbit Keeper Bee Lover Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Butterflies Hummingbirder
Dog Lover Birds Plant and/or Seed Trader Bulbs Echinacea Irises
No biggie.
SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde...
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Sep 11, 2017 6:46 PM CST
Name: Bee
Happy In my Garden Of W'Eden
A WELCOME VISITOR TO MY GARDEN Smiling
I did recognised it as a Ladybird larvae- but not sure which one as i'd never seen this one in my garden before, a search discovered it was this little garden helper Illeis galbula
"The cool and rainy weather also favours the larvae of the fungus-eating ladybird Illeis galbula. Recent weather conditions favour the growth of fungi that they (adults and larvae) feed on, including sooty mould and powdery mildew."

I posted on my blog that i had, had problems on my Lupins with Powdery Mildew that then had spread to my Calendulas I had applied an Insect friendly homemade solution that had thankfully sorted the Lupins out and now this little sweetie is now living on and hopefully continuing to organically sort out my Calendula's- A real welcome sight I'll say Thumbs up

Thumb of 2017-09-12/Bee_Happy/fdb499 Thumb of 2017-09-12/Bee_Happy/74f709
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Sep 12, 2017 7:43 AM CST
Name: Christine
North East Texas (Zone 7b)
Shine Your Light!
Heirlooms Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Bee Lover Herbs
Butterflies Dragonflies Birds Cat Lover Dog Lover Garden Photography
Interesting info, Bee! I've never heard of the fungus eating ladybird. Is your blog open to visitors? If so, where can I find it?
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb

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Sep 12, 2017 11:34 AM CST
Name: Bee
Happy In my Garden Of W'Eden
wildflowers said:Interesting info, Bee! I've never heard of the fungus eating ladybird. Is your blog open to visitors? If so, where can I find it?

I know it was such a surprise to me - Confused i can honestly say i had never noticed the adults at any time in my garden..so where did they come from i mean how did they find the plants needing rescuing Blinking ...Mother Nature is so FANtastic if we would only just allow her to intervene Lovey dubby

Awww the "blog" is just a page on another forum like here ...that i can add to, to keep my info to hand if i need to copy and share as I've done to here ... *Blush* nowt fancy not from me ......like a proper Blog Whistling

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