46 May 1, 2014 2014 SPRING HOME AND GARDEN “OUT OF THE ORDINARY” LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM
The mealybug destroyer is a small, reddish-brown
beetle with dark brown wing covers. They get to be
only about a fifth of an inch long. They voraciously
feed on aphids, scales and especially mealybugs in
the greenhouse, interior plantscapes, orchards and
ornamental gardens.
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destroyer/
3. Predatory nematodes
Living in moist, dark environments, predatory
nematodes are the dragons of the insect world.
Predatory nematodes are merely microscopic in
size, but they attack and kill almost all pest insects.
Beneficial or predatory nematodes hunt at the root
zone, in the thatch of lawns, around the crowns
of garden plants and even up into corn tassels.
Being so small, predatory nematodes burrow into
invading insect pests and eat them out from the
inside. More details about predatory nematodes are
available at
2. Damsel bugs
These sleek predators stalk their prey all over the
plant, from root to flower, and devour aphids, small
caterpillars, thrips, leafhoppers and other pesky,
detrimental bugs. Damsel bugs are often collected
from farm fields with insect nets and moved to the
home garden.
1. The praying mantis
The praying mantis is a very interesting bug.
And they get quite large — up to 5 inches long at
maturity. They are beneficial to humans because
they grab and eat just about any insect that is in
their path. They look like something from another
planet. Kids love watching this quirky insect and
often collect them and feed them bugs in a jar. The
praying mantis is the king of predatory insects
because they are so voracious. You can buy their
egg cases at
/
praying-mantis-egg-cases/.
A final note about using beneficial insects:
Beneficial insects are our friends because they
eliminate the bad bugs. In order to let them do their
job, we need to first become familiar with them
and not squash them like a pest under our shoes
or between our fingers (ick) when we see them.
And, like all insects, they are killed by the same
pesticides that kill insect pests. So, when we use
predatorial insects to help maintain our gardens,
we need to hold back the bug-killing sprays that
we used to use. The best approach is to use more
than one kind of beneficial insect to help control
the pests.
If you have an interest in knowing more about
beneficial insects and the environment, watch for
programs at Creekside, the new Lincoln College
Outdoor Center for Environmental Education. Dr.
Dennis Campbell, an environmental enthusiast,
oversees the center, which includes an insectarium.
