Nice Little Bugs : Many people believe that the only good insect is a dead insect, but, in truth, gardeners have oodles of multi-legged friends--those that feed on the harmful insect attackers of plants, produce and flowers.
When Allison Starcher strolls through her garden, she admires its beauty, bountiful vegetables and flowering herbs. She especially takes note of the many insects lurking within the leaves that are voracious bad-bug assassins.
“They’re wonderful,” she said. “I have so many beneficial insects living in my garden that the pest insects no longer destroy my plants. One day, I counted 15 damsel bugs in my tomatoes alone.”
Because most people don’t know a damsel bug from a dragonfly, or realize how these dull-brown or straw-colored needle-beaked insects feed on pesky aphids, thrips, caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects, Starcher wrote and illustrated a book to aid gardeners.
“Good Bugs for Your Garden” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1995, $10.95, hardcover) covers friendly garden bugs, those that feed on the harmful insect attackers of plants, produce and flowers.
The watercolor illustrations of the beneficial insects she describes are what make this small volume such a valuable addition to a gardener’s bookshelf. Each page contains biologically accurate, actual-size drawings of 36 bugs in both adult and larval form. Starcher also includes helpful planting tips on what types of plants attract these garden dwellers.
“I’m not a bug person,” Starcher admitted in a phone interview. “I’m not immune to feeling completely grossed out by insects.”
But her desire to simplify her gardening techniques made her change her attitude.
“I’ve always loved to garden,” she said. “I found out that the easiest and cheapest way to garden is to encourage populations of beneficial insects who devour the harmful bugs. Then you don’t have to buy pesticides.”
Starcher, who is a professional illustrator, says most people believe that the only good insect is a dead insect. But as she observed tiny aphid carcasses, whose bodies had been consumed by diminutive parasitic wasps, she realized it’s a bug-eat-bug world.
She says that the average square yard of a garden contains about 1,000 insects. In Orange County, the most common garden pests are various types of aphids, thrips, spider mites, scale, grasshoppers and caterpillars, such as the tomato hornworms. But battling those pest are beetles, worms, flies and spiders. They benefit plants and vegetables by acting as pollinators and soil builders as well as predators of plant-eating insects.
Aphids are attracted to tender, new plant growth. Although they’re usually noticed in spring, they also can build up populations in summer and fall. Hot weather usually provides the high temperatures and dry conditions favored by spider mites. These microscopic pests suck plant sap from the underside of leaves and can defoliate plants in just a matter of days.
“If there’s a heavy infestation problem, there’s a reason why the beneficials aren’t there,” said Nick Nisson, entomologist with the Orange County Agricultural Commission’s office. “Sometimes it’s caused by pesticides that kill off the beneficials with the predators. Or if plants are very dirty, the beneficials won’t stay.”
What’s a gardener to do?
The first step is to observe what’s happening in the garden, Starcher and Nisson advise. Determine what type of plants are being damaged, and try to identify the problem insect. If you need help, collect an insect or two in a plastic bag and take it to a nursery for identification.
If the infestation is severe, Nisson recommends using insecticide as a spot treatment. Instead of spraying the entire garden, spray only those plants that are affected.
Starcher prefers to avoid the toxic pesticides and even hesitates to use low-toxicity insecticidal soaps because they can also destroy the larvae of beneficial insects. She prefers to wash the plants with blasts of water, being sure to wash the undersides of the leaves, where most insects lurk.
If regular pesticides are used, wait for the residue to dissipate before introducing beneficial insects. Starcher buys beneficial insects from commercial sources in addition to landscaping for them.
Many nurseries and garden centers sell general predators, such as ladybugs, green lacewings and praying mantises. But there are others that are even more effective.
Hover flies (Syrphid flies) are identified by their striped yellow and black, or black and white bodies. They hover above flowers, pollinating them as they consume nectar. Their larvae are very efficient aphid destroyers, consuming one a minute.
Specialized insectaria sell syrphid fly eggs. Eggs of parasitic wasps--tiny wasps that parasitize eggs of hornworms, cabbage loopers, and other destructive insects--can also be bought.
As important as recognizing beneficial bugs is knowing what their larvae look like, for in many cases it’s those hungry, rapidly growing little bugs that are the predatory consumers.
“Although most gardeners recognize ladybird beetles, commonly called ladybugs, they don’t realize that those little black and red spotted alligator-shaped crawling insects aren’t bad bugs but are actually ladybug larvae,” Starcher explained.
Another mistake gardeners make is failing to recognize what the eggs of beneficials look like.
“I knew a woman who was horrified to see minute, stalk-like filaments on her rose leaves. She was sure this was some exotic pest and stripped off the leaves and destroyed them,” Starcher added. “But what she had destroyed were the eggs of green lacewings, one of the most desirable of all the beneficials.”
Another way to make sure your landscape contains more good bugs than bad is to include plants in the landscape that attract hungry, friendly bugs by providing them with nectar-rich blossoms.
Today at 1 p.m., Starcher will demonstrate how to create a Tub O’ Bugs, a containerized mini-garden of plants that attract the beneficials, at Heard’s Country Gardens, 14391 Edwards St., Westminster.
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Bringing Bunches of Friendly Bugs
Allison Starcher, illustrator and author of “Good Bugs for Your Garden,” will demonstrate how to create a containerized mini-garden of plants that attract the beneficials, at Heard’s Country Gardens in Westminster.
To create a Tub O’ Bugs, fill a 10- or 15-gallon container with good quality potting soil. Fill it with any of the following plants:
* Tall plants--cosmos, Scabiosa daisies, sunflowers, yarrow, especially salmon-colored.
* Medium-size--feverfew, marigolds, rose-scented geraniums, herbs such as coriander, dill, fennel, lovage, parsley, thyme, tansy. Allow them to flower.
* Small or trailing--alyssum, clover, lemon balm, nasturtiums.
Place the taller, vertical growing plants in the center and the trailing plants around the sides.
Starcher makes her porta-garden in a washtub that she drags by its handles to spots in her garden that need to attract beneficial bugs for increased pollination or bad-bug patrol. She also recommends placing a portable garden on commercial casters and rolling it from site to site.
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Retail Sources for Beneficial Insects
Gardens Alive! 5100 Schenley, Lawrenceburg, Ind. 47025 (812) 537-8650
Harmony Farm Supply, P.O. Box 460, Gratin, Calif. 95444 (707) 823-9125
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, P.O. Box 2209, Grass Valley, Calif. 95945 (916) 272-4769
Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, Ventura, Calif. 93002 (805) 643-5407
