Insects On Guard Against Pests

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The invasion of insect pests on the backyard becomes a big grief for gardeners. The action of such parasites casts a shadow on other insects. But among them there is an extensive group of not only quite peaceful, but even useful creatures in agriculture. Let's get to know more closely such representatives of this class of invertebrate arthropods and find out how they can help the summer resident

Ladybug - aphid lock

As the famous saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and this principle also applies to gardening. In particular, the use of natural enemies of parasitic insects in agriculture is called a biological method of plant protection. Therefore, it will be strategically wrong to drive absolutely all cockroach insects from their beds without exception. What kind of insects can do us good service?

Many people are familiar with such bugs as ladybugs. They are also called coccinellids. According to various sources, there are more than a hundred species of these insects. The seven-spot ladybugs are useful for us. They are easily recognizable by their characteristic black spots and bright colors. It is a predatory species that feeds on aphids and spider mites.

The life span of coccinellid is about 1-2 years. In winter, they hide under stones, fallen leaves, in the exfoliated bark of trees. And with the arrival of spring, they begin to mate and lay the larvae in those areas where the presence of aphids, worms and other living creatures is observed, which the gluttonous larvae of the ladybug can feed on. According to average estimates, in the larval phase alone, one insect destroys about 1200 aphids. Spiders and frogs are the direct enemies of this gardener's assistant.

Predatory gall midge aphidimiza paralyzes pests

The predatory gall midge is another implacable fighter against aphids. This insect is characterized by a high search ability, characterized by the absence of cannibalism. Its larvae are used to control aphids in greenhouses. And among the advantages of using this method is the ability of gall midges to reproduce and accumulate in greenhouses and in inter-greenhouse areas during the entire growing season.

The peculiarity of the behavior of this predator is that it not only feeds on aphids, but in addition, it paralyzes twice as many pests than the amount that is eaten by gall midge. However, it must be taken into account that, unlike the ladybug, which fights aphids from spring to late autumn, the activity of the gall midge is highly dependent on humidity and warm temperature.

Common lacewing

The record holder for the destruction of aphids, spider mites and worms is the common lacewing. Prefers to spend the winter on old spruce trees. And with the arrival of warm days, from the end of March, it leaves its wintering place and starts looking for an optimal place for raising offspring. And the best location for laying eggs is just a colony of aphids.

As a rule, eggs are attached to the underside of the leaf, and gardeners should be warned against destroying them. An interesting feature of the insect is that the larva will hatch at a stable warm summer temperature, but it also survives during significant cold snaps. However, at low temperatures, their activity decreases, but when the degree of the ambient air rises, an enviable appetite returns to the larvae. The rate of destruction of parasites is approximately 25-30 individuals per hour.

The period of development of the larva is approximately 20 days. But the first generation is replaced by the second, third, and so on. The insect's summer period captures almost all year round, excluding the winter days.