Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 194 5/24/17 12:19 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 195 5/24/17 12:19 PM

194 chapter 4

COMMON BENEFICIAL

INSECTS

The vast majority of the insects you’ll encounter

in your container garden are not harmful to your

plants. Many serve to pollinate crops or break

down organic matter, while others help you by

consuming pest insects. Below you’ll find seven

common pest-munching, predatory, and parasitic

insects you’re sure to discover prowling around

your plants in search of their next meal. All are

found in a broad range of garden habitats across

North America.

Hover or Syrphid Flies

Many species of hover flies look much like small

wasps or bees, with a black and yellow striped

abdomen, but they do not sting and aren’t

harmful to humans. The^1 ⁄ 4 to^1 ⁄ 2 in. long adults

can hover as they drink nectar from flowers, and

they are important pollinators. It’s the larvae that

control pests. Hover fly larvae are small, brown

or green maggots that hatch from eggs laid on

plants infested with pests. Each larva can eat up

to 500 pests before maturation. Adults cannot

reproduce without pollen as a food source and

since they don’t have specialized mouthparts (nor

do many other beneficial insects), plants with very

shallow flowers are attractive to them. Plants like

alyssum, aster, coreopsis, cosmos, daisies, fennel,

mint, sunflowers, wild mustard, and dill are great

choices to include in your container plantings. To

maintain a steady population of these predators,

make sure something is blooming in your

container garden from the last frost in spring to

the first frost in fall.

Syrphid fly larvae are small maggots that prowl

around plants, eating pests such as aphids, thrips,

leafhoppers, and young caterpillars.

Adult syrphid flies feed on nectar and pollen, and

serve as important pollinators. Plant members of the

daisy family to attract them to your garden.

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Troubleshooting 195

Green Lacewings

These beautiful, slender insects are attracted

to lights and are commonly found clinging to

window screens on summer nights. The adults

are light green with huge, transparent wings,

threadlike antennae, and golden eyes. They

measure up to an inch in length and consume

pollen and nectar exclusively. Adult green

lacewings lay eggs on the ends of long filaments,

and several eggs lined up along a blade of grass

look much like little lollipops in a row. The

lacewing larvae that hatch from these eggs are

fast-moving, flattened brown and white creatures

with large, curved mandibles for grasping prey.

They’re only a^1 ⁄^2 -inch long but can consume up

to 100 aphids per day—appropriately earning

them the nickname “aphid lions.” To lure them in,

include angelica, caraway, coreopsis, goldenrod,

yarrow, and tansy in your container garden.

Lacewing larvae are predaceous and feed on many

common pest insects, including aphids, caterpillar

eggs, beetle larvae, corn earworms, spider mites,

and others.

Adult green lacewings are beautiful insects, with

large, lace-like wings and bright gold eyes.

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