News Feature for Newsletters, Newspapers and Magazines |
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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
P.O. Box 2890
Washington, DC 20013
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Beneficial Bugs
"Bugs" have gotten a bad reputation! A few nasty creatures seem to
have given the whole class of organisms a bad name. Before you decide to
exterminate that creature crawling around on your plants or patio, find out what
it is. It may be your partner in plant protection! A pocket field guide to
insects is a good investment if you want to learn more about the insect species
that frequent your yard. These picture guides help you identify the organisms
and determine the appropriate control methods, if needed.
How to recognize the good guys.
Unless you are familiar with insects, there is no easy way to determine if
the insect is a beneficial species or a damaging one. To complicate matters
further, many species go through drastic changes in their lives where the
immature forms such as caterpillars may actually damage your plants, but,
eventually, these damaging caterpillars turn into gorgeous butterflies you want
to attract!
Common beneficial insects you are likely to see in your yard include:
- the ladybug beetle which feeds on aphids,
- dragonflies and damselflies which are tremendous mosquito predators, and
- lacewings which feed on soft-bodied insects such as aphids.
Hundreds of other species may be there as well, but some of them such as
parasitic wasps are so small that you probably won’t see them.
How to encourage beneficial insects in your yard.
Unfortunately, most insecticides kill beneficial insects as well as pests.
Consider the following before spraying for control.
1. Identify the pest before applying any control method. Field guides are
available at most bookstores or public libraries. Your local Cooperative
Extension Service office may have fact sheets on common insect pest
identification.
2. Determine how much damage is being done to the plant. Depending on the
size of the plant and the amount of damage, no control may be needed. A few
nibbled leaves on a large plant do not necessarily require control.
3. Can control be achieved with non-chemical methods? Often, it is quicker
and more effective to physically remove the pests from the plants. This works
best with large insects such as tomato hornworms.
4. If chemical control is needed, apply it when the air is still and other
insects are less active. Target the spray at the offending organisms to reduce
contact with other species.
5. Increase the diversity of plantings in your yard. Diversity of plants will
help lead to diversity in insect and other wildlife populations. Several
beneficial insects favor parsley and dill for their nectar. In addition, these
plants provide food for the larvae of the eastern black swallowtail butterfly.
Plant diversity also will provide habitat needed for overwintering.
6. Remember: complete eradication is not compatible with maintaining natural
predator populations. Beneficial insects need something to eat! Maintaining low,
yet nondestructive, populations of pests will help maintain populations of the
good guys.
For more information on Backyard Conservation practices, contact your local
conservation district or the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Or call
1-888-LANDCARE (toll free) for a free colorful Backyard Conservation booklet and
tip sheets.
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Backyard Conservation is a cooperative project of
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Wildlife Habitat Council
National Association of Conservation Districts
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