by Roshan Richards

Created on: February 20, 2009

It only takes one encounter with a wilted cucumber vine or a ravaged head of lettuce to tempt even the most seasoned gardener with acts of chemical warfare. It's true- bugs bug. But the complete truth is that only about 3% of all insects are the ones doing the dastardly deeds. The remaining 97% are actually beneficial to our planet and gardens. Good bugs pollinate our plants, aerate our soil, devour decomposing plant wastes, and kill or eat the bad bugs. So before you are tempted to reach for your canister of bug annihilation insecticide that comes complete with power hose, try waging a little bug warfare instead.

FOSTER A GOOD ENVIRONMENT

Before we even discuss identifying the good bugs, we need to talk about how to create the type of garden environment that encourages them to set up camp and leaves the bad bugs running for less threatening pastures.

1. Take away their food supply. Prepare your next season's beds by clearing away all debris and spent plants in the fall. Some varieties of bad bugs like to nest and feed off of garden refuse left over the winter. Also, while weeding, make sure to clear away plant debris and dispose of it in garbage receptacles.

2. Mulch, mulch, mulch. Spiders are the number one predator of bugs, and they love mulch because it gives them a place to hide. Although spiders are not technically considered an insect, but an arachnid, they are ugly so they get the bug label here- good bug, that is.

3. Grow plants that good bugs love near or in your garden. Good bugs need sip flower nectars to survive and planting them in strategic locations invites them to take up residency. Plants from the cabbage, carrot and sunflower species are an excellent source of this nectar. Some other plants that good bugs love are: alyssum, butterfly weed, caraway, clover, chamomile, nasturtiums, wild carrot, yarrow, roses, cosmos, any culinary herb, and marigolds (Aha! I knew there was a reason grandpa always planted those stinky marigolds in his garden). With a little research on plant coupling you might even have fun learning which of these plants do well planted next to certain vegetables for a tastier, more productive garden.

4. Only use insecticides as a last resort. Insecticides cannot tell the difference between a good bug and a bad bug so once it has been used you have to start building your good bug population all over again. Not to mention, it is hard to tell if you got all of the chemicals off your cut flowers or dinner vegetables.

KNOW YOUR BUGS

A little

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