By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent
Insects often have a bad reputation. The damage caused by pest species often shapes how people view other insects. The truth, however, is that most insects are innocuous, mostly having no impact on our activities one way or the other. That said, we should recognize some for the benefits they bring to our landscapes, gardens, and fields. Most beneficial insects fall into one of three categories:
- Natural Enemies: Predators and parasitoids that help suppress pest insect populations. They truly work for just room and board. As long as there is somewhere for them to live and something to eat, they will provide their services.
- Pollinators: Insects that will fly from flower to flower, helping to spread pollen and fertilize plants to help with fruit and seed production. This is likely the most famous group of beneficial insects; people appreciate the crisp apples, crunchy cucumbers, and plump pumpkins we can harvest from their efforts.
- Decomposers: An underappreciated group of insects that help to break down decaying organic matter and help return nutrients to the soil. While they may not always smell the best and can gorge on some questionable foodstuffs, the world would be much less pleasant without their help.
If you are willing to do an insect safari in the greenspaces around you, you can likely find several examples of each of these categories. Some possible examples of natural enemies in the early part of the summer include immature lady beetles, immature lacewings (also known as aphid lions) and ground beetles. Later, you can find hover fly maggots, praying mantises and adult lady beetles and lacewings. If you are lucky, you might even notice dragonflies performing aerial predation and small parasitoid wasps stinging aphids and injecting their eggs into them.
The best-known pollinators are bees, and they come in several kinds. Early in the growing season, honey bees, bumble bees, mining bees and mason bees can be seen making visits to blooms. Flies, wasps and beetles may also visit blooms.
As for decomposers, fly larvae, dung beetles, termites and ants all help to rid the landscape of rotting materials.
How can you recruit and preserve these beneficial organisms in your backyard? There can be a lack of food and a lack of resting and nesting spaces for these many-legged heroes.
Converting part of your landscape from turf or mulch into greenspace that grows a mix of annual and perennial plants can help feed pollinators, predators and parasitoids. Consider plants from the carrot, mustard, aster and verbena families. Finally, using more biorational insecticides, such as neem, insecticidal soaps and spinosad, can help preserve the beneficials while managing pests. You could also skip the sprays and manage pests by handpicking them and dropping them into soapy water, or by using traps to corral them.
As always, if you have questions about putting some of this advice into practice, we have answers at your Carter County Extension office. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.
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- Olive Hill Farmer’s Market Opening Day – June 17th @ 8:00 AM – Save-a-Lot Parking Lot
- Olive Hill Farmer’s Market Kid’s Day – June 24th from 9:30 -11:00
