Useful insect. Ladybug, beetle, bee, lacewoman. Defenders of the garden and the garden

Attraction of useful insects to the garden is a wonderful alternative to using chemicals that not only pose a threat to health, but also require considerable expenses. This is a soft and reliable way to combat garden pests.

Every useful insect is a small assistant to the gardener. Even many children know about many of them (for example, bees). And some useful insects undeservedly offended, taking for pests. Let's try to fill these gaps, considering in detail this inconspicuous, but numerous people who inhabit gardens and gardens.

ladybug

Puzatenky red beetle with black dots on its back is not only familiar to those who work on the ground. His charismatic appearance inspires even venerable designers. About this insect shoot cartoons and make up tales. Often it becomes a hero of photo sessions and thematic programs.

And the gardeners know for sure: a ladybird is an insect whose role in the garden can not be overestimated. Both larvae and adult beetles eat aphids, destroying in their short life huge hordes of these pests.

In nature there are about hundreds of species of this insect, and they are all predators. In our region the most common is a large red ladybug. This insect can reach a length of 9 mm. It feeds on deciduous aphids.

Osmium

Fluffy insects, like bees, are completely harmless. They bring a huge benefit to the garden. Osmies go to collect nectar, even in such weather, in which an ordinary domestic bee does not take to work. If you want these toilers to settle in your garden, build buildings with a thatched roof or simply place on the site several pieces of wood with drilled holes. They love osmium and elder branches without a core. It's just the perfect house for them.

This useful insect can settle in the most unexpected place: in the hole from the old nail or the doorway.

Bumblebees

Many take them for idlers, but in fact bumblebees are very useful insects in the garden. They are well adapted to the harsh northern conditions of life, so they work even where other pollinators are not found.

Long proboscis they extract nectar, even from plants with narrow coronals, inaccessible to other insects.

Collecting nectar, bumblebees transfer pollen, and do it very quickly. Entomologists estimated that a field bumblebee visits more than 2.5 thousand plants in one flight.

Ground beetle

In many gardens the beetle beetle meets from April to the end of October. These are predators that feed on eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults of many garden pests. In a day, one ground beetle can destroy three to five larvae of gooseberry fire, up to a dozen larvae of the sawfly, and about a hundred of larvae of gall midges.

The beetle beetle hunts at night, and in the daytime it is rare. Winter these insects spend in the soil.

Even more voracious than adults, "children" cause significant damage to populations of many harmful insects. They feed on eggs of flies, worms, moths, slugs. Many other larvae of parasites get to them for snacks.

Beetles and their growing offspring will settle with pleasure in sawdust or shavings, the fallen foliage. Arrange them a couple of shelters on the site, and soon in their face you will have faithful garden assistants.

Golden-eyed

Another insect, which often comes from gardeners - lace-eyed. "Pest or defender in front of me?" - thinks the man and, just in case, drives, or even destroys the poor thing.

But an experienced gardener knows that this light green insect, similar to a dragonfly, is one of the most important enemies of aphids. But this beauty does not harm the garden, does not eat fruits, does not strain wood, does not feed "colleagues at work". Why are they offended? Most likely, it comes from ordinary ignorance. And the appearance of the larva affects - those who are afraid of insects, they all seem to be the same. In fact, it is the larval form that eats most of the aphids. Adult insects often feed not by pests themselves, but by the sweet substance extracted by them.

Who is the lacewoman? Pest? Or the defender all the same? Do not doubt, this insect will only benefit your garden, eliminating enemy colonies of aphids.

Firefighters

These insects are so ubiquitous that, perhaps, each of us has a couple of memories from childhood associated with them. Someone calls them firemen or firefighters, some soldiers. The children invent many lies, the hero of which often becomes this useful insect. And they are credited with love stories with ladybirds, and participation in defending cities from fires, peacekeeping missions ... It is good when misconceptions spread in this direction. But often even adults say that this insect is a malicious wrecker.

But it is worthwhile to find out what the firefighters are eating, as everything becomes clear. Their diet includes aphids, leaf beetles, fruit caterpillars. If you have settled these insects, know: the garden is under reliable protection. The garrison of soldiers will reliably protect the trees. But if they divorce too much, they can periodically attempt on your cherry or leaves of berry bushes. And yet the benefits from the population are much greater than some damage in the form of bitten berries.

By the way, if there are cockroaches in the house in the cottage area, invite a few red-winged firefighters to visit. They will quickly solve the problem by cracking down on the invaders. Just do not try to take them in hand - these insects can stand up for themselves and strongly bite. If this happens, do not worry - the bites are painful, but not poisonous.

Bees

This insect simply bathes in the rays of glory. Everyone knows that useful insects are bees - human helpers. They not only actively participate in the process of pollination, but also give a lot of useful products: honey, wax, propolis and much more.

Many combine horticulture and beekeeping. Hives can be installed directly in the garden or nearby. Apple, pear, plum, gooseberries and some other garden crops could not bear fruit without the help of bees.

It is difficult to overestimate the merits of this insect. They perform most of the work on pollination of plants.

In addition to domestic animals there are also wild bee breeds. They settle in shady forests and plantings and also sometimes fly into the gardens in search of nectar. It is difficult to domesticate them, and there is no point in this - it's easier to breed domestic ones.

Close relative - spider

In fact, this creature refers to arachnids, but many gardeners still perceive it as a useful insect. Spiders catch in the web not only annoying flies, but also some garden pests.

Since we are talking about spiders, perhaps you can pay attention to earthworms, which are not insects, but are associated with them stubbornly. They loosen and saturate the soil with organic soil.

The lion's lion

Another indefatigable fighter is a relative of the lacewoman. The tiger lion and its larvae feed exclusively on aphids, so that its populations do not grow to gigantic proportions. These insects are used not only by summer residents, but also by professional farms. In specialized stores, you can even buy eggs from this insect, which can later be placed in greenhouses and on the open ground.

Trichogramma

This microscopic insect parasite is of great benefit precisely because of its way of life. Larvae of Trichogramma can live only at the expense of other organisms - eggs and larvae of other insects.

It is noteworthy that for parasitizing the Trichogram selects only moth pests. This useful insect is dangerous for more than 90 species of harmful butterflies, eating leaves and fruits.

Knowledge of the laws of nature helps to significantly facilitate life and significantly reduce the cost of farming. Try to make friends with small garden assistants, do not drive them off the site and do not exterminate, and thanks to them you will be able to get an excellent harvest without using chemistry.