Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects can be an effective control for certain garden pests and educational for all of your family members as well.

I’ll never forget when I received my first order of Praying Mantis egg cases which turned out to be a big hit with our kids as they watched them emerge from what looked like a completely lifeless environment.

The little critters did a good job in the garden that summer and all of us enjoyed watching them grow. There always seemed to be a few around for us to observe and they surely found nourishment from our vegetable garden just as we did.

Beneficial Nematodes can be used to help control:

• Ants
• Army Worms
• Beetles
• Black Fly Larvae
• Billbugs
• Cabbage Worms
• Cinch Bugs
• Codling Moths
• Colorado Potato Beetle
• Cranberry Girdler
• Fleas
• Flies
• Fungus Gnats
• Gall Gnats
• Grubs
• Loopers
• Mole and Morman Crickets
• Saw Flies
• Termites
• Boll, Root and Vine Weevil
• White Grubs.

Ladybugs are loved by all children but not by the following:

• Ants
• Green Aphids
• Bollworms
• Colorado Potato Beetle
• Leafhoppers
• Leafworms
• Mealy Bugs
• Saw Flies
• Thrips

Green Lacewings can be effective against:

• Ants
• Army Worms
• Bollworms
• Caterpillars
• Codling Moths
• Cutworm
• Fruit Worms
• Leafworms
• Mealy Bugs
• Mosquitoes
• Spider Mites
• Whiteflies

Trichogramma if selected can aid in reducing the populations of:

• Army Worms
• Bollworms
• Caterpillars
• Codling Moths
• Cutworms
• Fruit Worms
• Leafworms

Aphidoletes chief claim to fame is the control of: Ants.

Aphidius should be used against: Common and Green Aphid

Praying Mantis are interesting to watch and like to feast on: Aphids, Black Fly Larvae and Mosquitoes.

Mosquito Dunks are excellent when used towards the control of: Black Fly Larvae and Mosquitoes.

Fly Parasites; you should try them for the following: Billbugs, Flies and Loopers.