Beneficial Insects

[OregonOG33]

Hey all! first post long time follower I searched for predators and found this thread don't know if this is an appropriate place to post this... but thought you guys might like this.

 

[OregonOG33]

Wasp v grasshopper wasp wins!

 

[SilentL]

To this date , the best win - win . Is when I get some spiders who hunts gnats and other meals for them, and my plants get free ptotection, the spiders food. All happy ( gnats and other they are food instead of my plants :) ).
So it is a good help some of them so when I clean spidersweb they stay . Here in north EU no toxic spiders exept spider mites!

 

[icanfarm]

Very interesting I'm thinking this kind of pest maintenance . I'm setting up to run a complete veganic 0 chem grow and where I am mites are the huge problem summer time is murder

 

[Organikz]

Very nice post. I am all about this. I recently picked up hemp russet mites. I bought the variety pack of predatory mites. It's a blood bath but I have literally watched chlorosis reverse which I didn't know was possible.

 

[Organikz]

@SeaF0ur you around man? Got a bug I was wondering if you might be able to help id.View attachment 569397

Definitely a H. Miles.
I was sprouting some companions and I saw them crawling by the hundreds. I have introduced them before but I run no till so I can't see my soil. I flicked the side and spread them in my 10g pots and in my 150g planter.

 

[Dunge]

I too hope you are right about the H. Miles identification.
The problem I have with such a diagnoses is that predators are nor known for reaching infestation level populations because they rely on prey.
So what do you think they are eating?

 

[NHDbooler45]

From my experience, the biggest thing, and a common mistake people make is disrupting the balance within the ecosystem by artificially introducing large numbers.of beneficials, rather than crafting an ecosystem that attracts and sustains them naturally.

As a vegetable farmer, I've had alot of people come up and tell me that they bought ladybugs, mantises, ect, and that they never stick around or that they end up having to buy more every year.
The first thing I tell them is "well if you were crammed into a small area and forced to compete with an unnatural level of competition for food, you'd move on too".

 

[OkieThunder]

It is a large collection that took quite a bit of time and unfortunately I did not save that information.

Do you cover insectary gardens at all? I would be very interested. My wife helped me plants that would attract green lacewings and ladybugs and we didn't have one aphid or spider mite issue this year. However, we did get hit by what we think is a corn earworm. I think that I need to focus on attracting more beneficial wasps next year. I plan on building a greenhouse and having insectary gardens close by. Thanks! This is an open question and anyone can feel free to hop in!!!

 

[OkieThunder]

Corn Earworm???

 

[OkieThunder]

From my experience, the biggest thing, and a common mistake people make is disrupting the balance within the ecosystem by artificially introducing large numbers.of beneficials, rather than crafting an ecosystem that attracts and sustains them naturally.

As a vegetable farmer, I've had alot of people come up and tell me that they bought ladybugs, mantises, ect, and that they never stick around or that they end up having to buy more every year.
The first thing I tell them is "well if you were crammed into a small area and forced to compete with an unnatural level of competition for food, you'd move on too".

Are you referring to growing plants to attract beneficial insects(insectary)? I'm going to be looking into plants to attract the right insects but are also native to my state. My wife is getting a horticulture degree at Oklahoma State Univ(Ag School) and she is the one that brought this to my attention. Instead of buying green lacewings or ladybugs, we are growing plants to attract them. I need to find the predator of that corn earworm that I posted above.

 

[OkieThunder]

Assassin bug stalking a grasshopper.

I didn't have many spots like this and the it seemed like things were being taken care of before I realized it was a problem.


A hummingbird moth, which is supposed to be fairly rare:

 

[OkieThunder]

Random insects that I found in the insectary garden. This is a garden that is designed to attract beneficial insects but it could use some improving. I need to attract more predatory wasp...

I thought that this was a horsefly at first, but no. Not sure what it is, but it's not a horsefly lol...

I saw this guy patrolling leaves on top and bottom. I'm pretty sure that it's a "long leg fly" which eat aphids. I saw plenty of these guys.

 

[Week4Bytch]

Natures Good Guys <--- Look these guys up, fungus gnat control is just the tip of the iceberg for these guys.

What works best for Fungus Gnat control?...​

Most of the fungus gnat’s life is spent in a developmental stage such as Larva or pupa in the soil, so the most effective control is to target these stages rather than attempting to control the short-lived flying adults. Adults can be trapped using homemade traps or pheromone lure/trap.

Nematodes such as Steinernema feltiae and predatory mite Hypoaspis miles are both predators that attack the fungus gnat larvae in the soil. Both predators are very popular with experienced growers as a preventative measure. Both because of their low cost and effectiveness. High infestations will require multiple releases.

For high infestations Steinernema feltiae, Hypoaspis miles (aka Stratiolaelaps scrimitis) and Dalotia coriaria (rove beetle) will co-exist and may all be released together.

Steinernema feltiae: Fungus gnat larvae, Root Aphids, Leaf Miners, Shore Flies, and Thrips.

Stratiolaelaps scimitus: Fungus Gnat Larvae, Thrips, Sciarid Flies, Shore Flies, Root Aphids, Springtails, Root Mealybugs and Poultry Mites.

Dalotia coriaria: Fungus Gnats, Shore Fly, Thrips, Springtails, and Root Aphids.

 

[encladd]

I read that passion fruit vines attract a specific type of butterfly that scares off the moths that lay bud worm eggs. I plan on encircling my garden next year in the stuff. Already have the vine growing on my fence. Has anyone tried this yet?