The Good, Bad, and Ugly
by Lynn Sommers
Fond childhood memories of firefly hunting are recalled on balmy summer
nights. My brother punched holes in the jar covers while I eagerly awaited
the chase to begin. We'd sneak our captives into our bedrooms and drift
off to sleep with our blinking nightlights next to the pillow. The fireflies
were released in the morning, their special gift of glow being undetected
by then. The jars were immediately reused to capture lady bugs during the
day.
We never harmed these insects believing them to be "good" since
they weren't ugly. Quite a different story however with spiders, ants and
flies. I won't reveal what we did with them. As children we believed ugly
meant bad, pretty meant good. I would like to think this notion is held
only by naive children, but I still see many adults squash a spider because
it's "ugly" or "creepy".
What is an insect? Are there good and bad ones? And when is it proper
to control their populations?
What is an insect?
Insects are the most successful type of animal on earth. They have been
around for at least 350 million years. There are over 87,000 species in
the U.S. and Canada and probably over 1 million different species in the
world. Only about 1% of the species are serious competitors with people
for food, space or spread disease. One square yard of your garden probably
contains about 2,000 insects. Some are microscopic, some you wouldn't want
to touch and others are as easily recognizable as the butterfly.
Insects are small backboneless animals (invertebrates) that go through significant
changes from the time they hatch from eggs until they are full grown. They
have no lungs; a very poor circulatory system with no veins or arteries,
and a primitive nervous system that allows them to stay alive even with
their head detached. These organ systems function well for a small animal,
but prevent insects from ever getting larger than 3 - 4 inches long by 2
inches high and 2 inches wide. (Although I wonder what size our mosquitoes
will be this year.) Not all insects are bugs. A true bug (order Hemiptera)
has thick fore wings that overlap membranous tips when the insect is at
rest. The front of the thorax is usually large and distinctly separate
from the rest of the thorax and this forms a highly recognizable triangle.
Similarly marked insects which are an exception to these (order Homoptera)
are leafhoppers (strict vegetarians) and cicadas (known for their ability
to produce sound). Both of these insects however, lack thick fore wings.
Who's Good, Who's Bad
Most insects are directly beneficial to man and necessary to the ecological
circle. They are responsible for the pollination of every fruit, flower
and vegetable crop. Some serve to be another creature's meal; birds, reptiles,
small mammals, other insects and even or man.It is very easy to forget about
maintaining the natural balance of pollinators and predators when the plant
eaters are feasting on your ornamentals and edibles. Farmers would be in
big trouble if intervention wasn't employed when necessary. Most cash crop
growers know the secret of successful intervention: timed application of
insecticides during a particular growth cycle of the insect. Some insects
will survive but their population is generally not great enough to cause
substantial damage. Perhaps one should be concerned however, about surviving
generations that will become immune to insecticides. The home gardener
should always consider alternative choices before grabbing a canister of
powder or a tankful of insecticide spray.
What to Do?
Intervention should be considered if the insect damage is destroying the
plant's capability to produce. Observe the culprit, capture it if you can,
study it with a magnifying glass and then call your county extension office
for help. Many local greenhouses have reference books and trained staff
that can also help. You can take your prisoner (in a closed container please)
to them for identification. If you can't capture the insect, pluck off
some damaged leaves and take them to the greenhouse. Please put these also
into a bag, as the leaves may contain eggs. Leaf damage is usually very
telling about the type of insect by identifying eating patterns. Some nibble,
some suck, some tunnel, and some rip and chew. It is best to use an insect
specific product when possible.
You'll often receive a wide range of advice generally starting with the
least invasive and drastic. Doing nothing is doing something. Some insects
are very transient. Hand picking and squashing is unpleasant ( I really
hate doing it) but sometimes the most effective. Some insects can be squashed
inside leaves (iris borers) so it isn't as unpleasant as it sounds. Applying
a strong spray of plain water will knock insects off leaves to prevent them
from feasting. This is effective in controlling small populations of aphids,
but usually needs to be repeated and care must be taken to clean the aphids
off the underside of the leaf as well. Applications of natural contact
insecticides like diatomaceous earth is effective but expensive in controlling
slugs. My neighbor, Joe, is fearless in hand-picking these slimy creatures
every night from his garden. I've tried but just can't bring myself to
touch a slug.
There are a lot of botanical insecticides that are recommended over a chemical
insecticide. Regardless of which route you choose, please bear this in
mind. it is important to not exceed application rates. Even botanical
products overused can upset the natural balance in the garden. Apply any
product when bee activity is low. Understand you are planning to kill targeted
insects; the suffix "-cide" literally means kill, and some innocents
are also going to die. Excess product will eventually flush into the lakes.
Exercise caution with handling and storing these products. Protect yourself,
your family and pets.
If you should find it necessary to use chemicals every year, perhaps you
should be doing more diversified planting. Maintain your garden by clearing
debris and tilling the soil. Encourage birds and bats to your garden, they
eat a lot of insects. Be prepared to sacrifice a little of your garden
no matter what you do. Some loss of flowers and vegetables is necessary
to the ecological balance.
Take a look at the plethora of insects in your garden. Be amazed at the
colors, shapes and antics of these tiny creatures. Try and spot a true
bug. Kids have a great time looking for that distinctive "triangle".
Learn to appreciate their function in our lives. You probably won't like
a lot of these insects anymore than you did before, but perhaps understanding
their purpose in your garden will lead to a little more tolerance.
There are no good or bad "bugs" and beauty truly is in the eye
of the beholder.
Enjoy the magic of the fireflies this summer.
Return to Table of Contents
Gates of Heaven Celebration
Transportation and Planning
The Good, Bad, and Ugly
President's Report
Weaving 25 Years
"In Alder Words. . ."
Eye on the Hood
The New Isthmus Garden Club
Assembly Report
Alder's Addendum - Flooding
Neighborhood Safety TIPS
Focus on Flood Fashions
Public Service Announcements