0
Garden Insects
The term 'garden insect helpers' generally refers to insects that are beneficial as pollinators or as feeders on destructive bugs. Among the best known of the beneficial insects are the ladybird beetle, the colorful butterfly, and the busy bee. What's bugging your garden? Are there slugs in your salad greens, ants in your azaleas, bean beetles in your beans, or some other pesty insect in your garden? Insects like to eat, but gardeners are not willing to share.
1,176 Questions
What pants do caterpillars destroy?
Caterpillars will destroy anybody's pants. Of course there are definitely different grades of attack. Green pants or floral ones, or the pants of cabbage patch dolls are at greatest risk. Short pants or man made fibre pants are relatively safe unless the wearer sits down.
It also can depend upon the particular caterpillar that is marauding. For example, the Woolly Bear Caterpillar* obviously goes for the trousers made of wool, except, of course, when they are in training for the races at the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, North Carolina each year in October. During their training, they switch to high carbohydrate pants, such as those made of cotton or linen as the meal before the races for that extra burst of carb energy.
There have been claims, although there is no proof of this, that the reason the Scottish men started wearing wool kilts instead of wool pants was to prevent their clothing from being destroyed by pant eating Woolly caterpillars. Another unsubstantiated claim is that these pant eating caterpillars have an aversion to plaids, and that is the origin of the popularity of Tartan wools, but since that approach was not entirely effective, they gave up and just changed to the kilts.
In Canada, the Malacosoma disstria-nostra- order Ledierdoptera a distant cousin of the Forest Tent caterpillar has been found to enjoy nibbling both canvas and leather pants. While this has not really been of great concern with the exception of on army bases and beer gardens during Oktoberfest. Recent events, specifically the costume malfunctions of several Oompah bands this year however have brought the issue of control of this insect to the forefront. When contacted, the minister of the environment was quoted as saying "there is no such thing as the dissra-nostra", those big tents are supposed to have no sides and the holes in the top are for ventilation. This of course was meant once again to mis-direct the concerned citizens away from the real problem. Once the caterpillars have done their nasty work on the lederhosen straps and those large lads get well into the beer and music, it can turn from Oompah to "swing" in seconds causing the beer maids to drop trays of beer in fits of laughter.
*Additional Note: The winner of the 2009 race was Wilbur (his human is 9 year old Noah Jens, from Chapel Hill, NC). Woolly Worms (also spelled Wooly Worms) are the larvae of the Isabella tiger moth. The banded caterpillars are known to be excellent predictors of the weather in the upcoming winter based upon the ratio of brown to black coloring of their "wool". See related questions and links for more information.
The goliath beetle is the largest insect living todayhow much does it weigh?
the goliath beetle weighs from 80-100 grams
What do garden bugs look like?
Insects, myriapods, terrestrial crabs and woodlice are what garden bugs look like. Centipedes and millipedes number among a garden's myriapods. Pill bugs, also called doodle bugs and roly polies, serve as common examples of woodlice.
How small of a hole can hornets or yellow jackets squeeze though?
Hornets and yellow jackets can compress their bodies to squeeze through holes as small as the width of a pencil.
The salt from human perspiration and the pollenand the nectar from flowers are what sweat bees eat.
Sweat bees may be found in their greatest numbers everywhere in the world except the Antarctic and Arctic, Australia and Southeast Asia. Wherever they are, they are member of the Halictidaefamily of insects. They further may be grouped into the four subfamiliies of Halitinae, Nomiinae, Nomioidinae, or Rophitinae. They may be grouped even further into any one of more than 2,000 species.
Within the species, most are active during the day. But their family is one of only four within the bee world to include members active at dusk or in the early evening. So those cultivators or gardeners bent on control of sweat bee populations must know for a fact whether the sweat bees in question are day- or evening-flyers.
Additionally, the gardener or cultivator bent on control must know for a fact what the sweat bee calls homes. Specifically, sweat bees prefer ground nests. But they will accept fallen, decaying, dead wood.
Wherever they live, sweat bees always think about the next generation. For example, the females lay one egg on one waterproof cell. The cell is actually a lunchbox of pollen and nectar just waiting for the newly hatched eggs.
In the defense of their young, their territory or their right to access human sweat, the females are known to sting. The sting is considered painless and harmless .. unless the recipient has allergies. In such a case, commence first response measures and call in emergency rescue immediately.
sounds like termites and lice.
A ladybird beetle, also known as a ladybug has one main enemy. The bird and spider, praying mantis, and some other big things like my cat.
Deformed wing virus is suspected of causing the destruction of hundreds of thousands of honey bee colonies across Europe and North America.
Specifically, the virus is one of 18 known to afflict honey bees (Apis spp). The virus shows up in all parts of a honey bee's anatomy except the legs. It results in severe deformities and swift death (within 48 hours).
Are yellow jackets beneficial to gardens?
Yes, yellow jackets are beneficial to gardens. The insects in question (Dolichovespula spp, Vespula spp) fulfill roles of predator and or prey within feeding chains and food webs. They also serve as pollinators of day-blooming edibles, ornamentals and wildflowering plants.
Does spraying Listerine mouth wash on the lawn keep mosquitoes away?
No, that is just a persistent myth. More effective would be removing sources of standing (and especially stagnant) water, in which the mosquitoes lay their eggs.
(See Snopes.com link, below.)
How do you get rid of aphids off of Virginia creeper?
With an insecticide. Sevin is among the safest.
Maybe an hour or two. :/
How much nectar can a bee carry?
The honey crop could hold a maximum of about 100 milligrams (mg) of nectar, though the bee will usually return to the hive with about 40 mg. This compares with the body weight of the bee at about 90 mg.
What are reasons for why insect repellents do not work?
If they aren't from the natural, organic product line, then insecticides aren't used in the case of organic gardening. The standard chemical, commercial, conventional, synthetic insecticides may have instant name recognition among gardeners. They may be more available and more economically priced. But they aren't supposed to be used.
One reason lies in their non organic nature. Another lies in the side effects of their use. For example, some non organic insecticides are target sprays in their effects being directed toward a specific pest population. But others aren't.
Still another lies in the strategies that organic gardening emphasizes. For example, organic gardeners turn to mechanical means such as swatting. Or they try cultural means such as improving plant and soil health. Or they attempt biological means such as bringing in natural enemies to turn the pests into food sources. In the way of a common beneficial among organic gardeners, favorite enemy is the ladybug [Coccinellidae]
How to turn houshold ammonia cleaners into plant fertilizer?
dont.
while possible it is risky as ammonia is toxic to all plants and a small mistake can ruin your garden
Aphids, Small Insects, Mites, Plants, Scale Insects, Pest, Thrips & Coccinellidae
Is insect spray a toxin corrosive or flammable?
It is difficult to answer you unless you say which insect spray. The tin should tell you about all these things, have a look at it. In general most pesticides are toxic and flammable.
Sometimes people who are especially attractive to mosquitoes are colloquially referred to as "mosquito magnets." The "Mosquito Magnet" is a patented mosquito trap, made by American Biophysics It's a machine that uses propane gas to mimic the C02, heat, and moistures that attracts mosquitoes to people. Then it vaccums the bugs into a net where they eventually die. They are not cheap. You need a new tank of propane ($15) and a lure ($4) every 21 days. You need some other supplies periodically. The machines sell for between $300 and $1500 depending on model.
What is the Latin name of the black vine weevil?
'Otiorhynchus sulcatus' is the binomial, Latin or scientific name of the black vine weevil. It leaves notched or scalloped margins to azalea leaves from its night-time feeding. It also may cause these same leaves to yellow, droop or curl. Additionally, it even may chew away at the bark at the base of the stem. The larval stage of this weevil is known to attack the plant's roots.
A soil drench, such as with Imidacloprid, may take care of the grubs below ground. A pesticide with the active ingredient of acephate may take care of the adult weevils above ground. The treatment may need to be carried out every three weeks, summer through September.
What is it called when Bees help pollinate flowers and help them reproduce?
The word for the process described in the question is 'pollination'.
How long have bees been in north America?
There are varieties of bee that are native to North America and have been there longer than man, but there is no native honey bee. The honey bee was introduced from Europe by settlers with the earliest recorded introduction in 1622.
Can bugs get in sealed boxes of pasta?
Pasta is actually made ONLY of dead insects. Pasta factories insert bug bait into the empty pasta boxes, then seal them up. Only the most clever pasta bugs can weasel their way into these sealed,baited, empty pasta boxes. Pasta bugs grow too large to escape by eating the bait, then die trapped inside the box, and depending on the type of pasta bug, as well as the type of bait, they form everything from tortellini to lasagna noodles.
