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from Natural Life Magazine, March/April, 2004 Worried that miniature monsters like aphids, hornworms or corn borers will chomp a swath through your carefully planted garden this year? These insect pests can be the organic gardener’s worst enemy. But not all insects are harmful. In fact, so-called beneficial insects can help you fight the nasty ones. So nurture a balanced, biologically diverse environment in your garden and let nature help you with pest control. The use of insects to suppress other insects dates back at least to the fourth century A.D. when ants were manipulated to control citrus pests in China. Aphids, worms and caterpillars, spider mites, thrips, greenhouse whiteflies, flies, mealybugs, sweet potato whiteflies, mosquitoes, fire ants, grasshoppers and broadmites can all be controlled in this manner. There are basically two categories of insects used to control other insects – predators and parasites. Insect predators like the praying mantis and ladybug feed directly on their prey, killing them immediately. They are generally larger than their prey and must eats lots of prey to grow. Other, smaller and weaker, insects like wasps and flies parasitize their hosts by depositing eggs on or in them, eventually killing them by using the host for food. There are two ways to get beneficial insects into your garden. You can lure them there naturally or you can introduce purchased ones. If you are unable to attract beneficial insects into your yard, or you are dealing with a specific pest or you are gardening in an enclosed area such as a greenhouse, purchasing and releasing some beneficial insects may be the best plan. Suppliers ship by mail and can recommend specific solutions that are beyond the broad scope of this article. Otherwise, make sure your garden is friendly to beneficial insects. Insects need ... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's online edition. |
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