Your garden should prosper, and anything that does harm to it is your enemy. It’s possible to believe that if something is within your garden, and it moves or flies, then it must be killed. A few of the creatures in your garden are kind and helpful. Which are they in your corner? Which aren’t? Let’s take a look at some examples.
Tomato Hornworm
This huge green caterpillar may eventually become a moth; however, in the meantime, it feeds on the plants you have. It could be as long as four inches long, and it has an appearance of a horn that is located in its rear. This is not a magical unicorn, as it eats your tomatoes. As the caterpillar expands in size, its appetite increases, and it consumes food more frequently. The pupal form is in the soil throughout the winter months, dreaming about tomatoes while you work through the garden in the off-season. One option to stop them is to till the soil (before the cold winter months) after the growing season has ended. They’re huge and easily accessible. You can also pick them from your tomatoes and then dispose of them.
Aphids
The little green creatures can be equally harmful to feeding on your plants, as well as for their ability to reproduce because women of this species are able to seem to reproduce themselves. It’s not pleasant for you and your plants, right? After eating the plant, they release sticky fluid, which turns into sooty and can harm the plants. Monitoring regularly for aphids can aid in removing the problem before it becomes grave.
Green Lacewing
Certain insects and bugs assist in growing your garden, and it could be advantageous to allow them to stay. A green lacewing can be just one of the insects. They eat aphids, as well as other insects, including spider mites. Their larvae are huge eating machines, consuming anything from aphids to tiny caterpillars. If you’re looking for another insect and its slow-moving larvae of lacewings in green may manage it.
Damsel Bugs
The long-legged, big-eyed insects could appear like beauty queens. However, their true beauty lies in their effectiveness within the gardens. They’ll kill all kinds of insects to destroy your plants. They’ll even fight one another if they aren’t able to find other insects to feast on. They may be drawn to your garden by planting plants like lavender and chamomile.
If you are feeling that the garden (or your house in general) is being taken over by these tiny creatures to an unacceptable level, do not attempt to address it on your own! These tasks are much more difficult than they appear, and you will require experts to handle the issue for your safety as well as the safety of those around you (as you do not wish to make use of dangerous products).
However, these are only a few instances of both bad and good bugs. Controlling them in smaller instances will reduce the number of insecticides that you must use. Insects are typically considered pests; however, they could be villains or heroes in our gardens. Being aware of which pests to welcome or ward off can make your garden more productive. Make sure to look over our gardening tools that can guide you through your garden this summer!
References:
List of Garden Pests | No Dig Vegetable Garden
Six Reasons Why Pest Control is not a DIY job Proforce
Green Lacewings | Green Lacewings
The Masters of Cloning | Aphids on World’s Plants
Tomato hornworms in your home garden The University of Minnesota University of Minnesota
Damsel bug can be helpful in the garden ACES.