5. Good Organic Gardening - September-October 2016 AvxHome.in

PEST PATROL | Beneficial insects
THE FANTASTIC FIVE
Just as there are insects we’d rather not see in our gardens, there are
many we welcome with open arms. Here are five of the best
Words Claire Bickle
Understanding that not every
bug in our garden is there
to destroy our plants — and
that some are even there to
help — is a good start to developing an
appreciation of the magical, mysterious
world of insects and creating a healthy
environment in our own backyards.
It’s all about balance and biodiversity within
our backyard ecosystem, even those as small
as 400 square metres.
As gardeners, we should actually be grateful
for the so-called bad bugs, as they are more
often than not an important sign that something
is amiss in the garden. Killing them all off can be
a little like shooting the messenger, in a way.
You could be having a particular pest
outbreak because you are growing a
vegetable out of season or have incorrect
growing conditions such as a lack of sun,
inconsistent watering or poor drainage — just
a few of the many factors that can put stress
on plants and make them more vulnerable to
pest and disease attack.
The presence of pests also means there’s a
food source for beneficial insects that prey on
them. So it follows that if you remove all the
pest insects there will be no food source for
the good guys.
It also follows that, quite often, killing the
bad bugs means killing the good bugs, too,
especially if you are using non-selective
insecticides. Even organic homemade and
commercial sprays like pyrethrum may
be harmful to some beneficial insects.
So who are these good guys of the garden
that you should look out for, recognise and
encourage to visit? In essence, they are a tiny
army of workers in your environment that
deserve respect and recognition.
Beneficial insects have a variety of positive
attributes. They can be pollinators, predators,
parasites, waste removalists and more.
Bugs to love
Lady beetles; order: Coleoptera;
family: Coccinellidae
Easily one of the most recognisable insects
of all, the ladybird or lady beetle in your patch
is actually one of some 6000-plus different
species within this family group.
And not all have spots. They come in an
array of colours and have varying numbers of
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