This article is going to help you recognize the good guys. Our discussion of beneficials would not be complete without mentioning something obvious that most of us have in our gardens-birds! They are easy to attract, beautiful to look at, enjoyable to listen to, and they are great predators too!
Many birds eat caterpillars and grubs, and hummingbirds love aphids, which add much needed protein to their diet. There are lots more to help us — such as finches, weavers, etc….
To attract birds be sure to have a water source nearby, and plant a variety of plant material. Hummingbirds like any flowers with lots of nectar and bright colors. They are particularly fond of fuchsias, salvias, honeysuckles, and the like - we have many hummingbird-friendly plants here at the nursery. We’ll show you how to create a garden for the birds!
Bees are also very important for our gardens. Without bees we would not have many flowers or fruit. They’re our main pollinators. Not just honeybees, but bumblebees, mason bees and others. All are useful, and care should be taken with insecticides to avoid harming them.
And beetles (Coleoptera)…a very helpful order of insects is the beetles. Besides the ladybugs (who have a taste for aphids, mites, scale and others) there are two other very helpful families.
- Beetles of the family carabidae (ground beetles):
Most adults are brown or black, although a few are metallic blue or green. Some of the larger species can live for 2 to 4 years. Although most forage on insects found in or on the soil, some climb into trees, shrubs, and crop plants to hunt. Almost all of these feed on pests. My favorites are the beetles in the genus calosoma, which eat caterpillars. The next time you see a black beetle, don’t step on it-it may be after the caterpillars that are eating your plants! - Beetles of the family cantharidae (soldier beetles):
Soldier beetles are colorful insects, often black or brown with red, yellow or orange. They are elongate and flat with long threadlike antennae. Adults are commonly found on flowers and foliage. The larvae have dark bristles, which give them a velvety appearance. Some of these beetles are important predators of aphid pests. Soldier beetles are highly predacious in the larval stage. They live on the ground and feed on pests including snails, slugs, millipedes, earthworms, caterpillars, maggots, and grasshopper eggs.
In closing, here’s an important reminder of careful and informed use of chemicals: if you choose to use them, please follow package directions carefully. If you decide to dispose of them, do so through an official toxic waste disposal site - usually listed in your local newspaper or in the Yellow Pages.