What bugs are on your guest list?
As an Organic gardener, you’ll find a friend in beneficial insects. Why don’t we take a look at who is on your ‘Garden Party’ invitation list and why?
All cannabis gardeners shudder when they hear the word mite. But never fear, find a friend in the ladybug. These adorable little insects love to eat aphids, mites, and just a dash of mealybugs.
- The second name that cannabis gardeners hate to hear is thrips, so invite the lacewing family! Adult and larvae lacewing eat aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs, scales, thrips, and whiteflies.
- The Ground Beetle adds perfect fashion to your soiree. On his menu, you’ll find slugs, snails, cutworms, and maggots.
- The Soldier Beetle will arrive in top form ready to devour aphids and caterpillars. Then there’s the Damsel bug who adds grace to any party while demolishing aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, and thrips.
- This brings us to the strange but helpful life cycle of the Braconid wasp. She injects her eggs into host insects. Her chosen hosts are caterpillars, moths, aphids, and beetle larvae. The larvae then feed on the insides of their hosts until depleting them of life completely. The host dies once the larvae have completed developing. We know that you want more entertaining party tricks. Don’t forget to invite the Aphid Midge who feeds on more than 60 species of aphids by paralyzing their prey with toxic saliva.
With this guest list, you’ll be the Organic host with the most and have the best garden party in town.
This post was written by Siobhan Darwish, one of two amazing second generation growers that can be found on Instagram @grow.sisters and on their YouTube Channel.
