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Even we agree that there are some insect pests that are worth fighting for
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The caterpillar of the gypsy moth arrives in such quantities that the word hordes is appropriate here.
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Without it, the web of nature collapses. That’s how important insects are to the world we live in.
However, aside from insect hotels, we all agree that there are some insect pests that are worth combating.
Here is a list of the most common insect pests to invade our gardens at this time of year, and our recommended non-chemical controls:
- Japanese beetle. Hello climate change. A generation ago, this common garden pest was unknown in these areas as our winters were severe enough to kill them. Now, Japanese beetles love to forage on lawns, linden trees, grapevines, roses, and more. You are voracious. You can read elsewhere that the best control is hand-picking. We say “nonsense”. Once you get started, you might as well quit your day job as it becomes endless. Pheromone (i.e., sex) traps work best in the urban garden. Hang them where the problem is most persistent and empty them at least once a week.
- Gypsy moth. The caterpillar of the gypsy moth arrives in such quantities that the word hordes is appropriate here. Many communities have sprayed the relatively harmless Bacillus thurengensis, or BT, when the moth is in the larval stage. This liquid reacts with the stomach lining of the larvae and makes them burst at the seams. Unkind. But also not the defoliation of your trees when they arrive. Or the herbs, their droppings, when they fall from the trees above. The stickiest stuff in the universe has to be Tanglefoot. Press a ring of it around the circumference of a tree, just under the lowest branches and larvae will get stuck in it. We hear reports that supplies are limited and other reports that small birds get stuck in it (it’s so sticky) and can get injured or die.
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You can hand pick it and put it in a bucket of water with some vegetable oil floating in it. Note that the gypsy moth rarely kills a tree, despite the leafless state they leave it in.
- Grub. White maggots, gray maggots, both eat grass roots and cause damage. But not so much as the raccoons, skunks, and possums that scour your lawn at night to look for them. Grubs are shrimp cocktails for bugs. Control them now with nematodes, which are available from specialist gardeners. Mix them with water and spray the solution on your lawn and water it thoroughly. Nematodes occur naturally and do not harm your plants.
- Colorado beetle. If you grow potatoes, you have the Colorado potato beetle. Where are you from? We have no idea. Once Colorado, but now here they are Colorado potato beetles. Select them by hand or apply a dry powder of silicon dioxide or diatomaceous earth. Packaged in a squeeze bottle and sold as an ant or crawling insect control. Ironically, these are crushed fossilized insects that remove the waxy protective layer on the beetle’s belly. Apply again after rain or watering.
- Cabbage moth. The pretty white little butterfly that you see flying around your garden lays eggs from little green caterpillars of the cabbage moth. Unlike a Cabbage Patch doll, which is fun and cuddly, the moth larvae are hungry for the leaves of every member of the cabbage family, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and of course, cabbage. Silicone dioxide works well in dry weather. A butterfly net works, but when you catch a desirable butterfly, thank it and let it go.
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Which brings us to the core of the topic: 99 percent of insects are beneficial and freelance work in nature in the natural cycle of eating and being eaten. A nesting family of downy woodpecker eats up to 14,000 caterpillars per day (busy mother), so we need them.
The gardener is a fan of pest control. Songbirds and bats are passionate about looking for insects at this time of year. Frogs and toads eat flying insects including mosquitoes. Snakes, possums, skunks, and even raccoons look for and devour ground insects.
We have friends in the pest control department. Let’s not rock the boat.
Mark Cullen is a seasoned gardener, writer, broadcaster, tree advocate, and a member of the Canadian Order. His son Ben is a fourth generation urban gardener and a graduate of the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them on markcullen.com, @markcullengardening and on Facebook.
