Container Gardening Complete

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

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 196 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 197 5/24/17 12:19 PM

196 chapter 4

Ladybug/Ladybird/Lady Beetle

With over 480 different species in North America,

ladybugs may be the most recognizable of all

beneficial insects. But not all ladybugs are red

with black polka-dots. Ladybugs can be yellow,

cream, brown, orange, black, gray, or pink,

depending on the species. They can have lots

of spots or no spots at all. They can be striped

or mottled, or have bands of black running

down their wing covers. But regardless of their

coloration, ladybugs are great for the garden.

These beetles measure between^1 ⁄^6 and^1 ⁄^2 in.

long, but they’re all dome-shaped with hard

wing covers and six legs. Almost all ladybugs are

predators, consuming such common pests as

aphids, scale, mites, mealybugs, small caterpillars,

whiteflies, mites, and psyllids. It’s also important

to note that larval ladybugs eat pest insects, too.

Looking much like small, flattened, six-legged

alligators, ladybug larvae might look a little scary,

but they’re very good for the garden. Because

adult ladybugs need to eat pollen and nectar to

reproduce, planting their favorite nectar sources

in your container garden can naturally support

a healthy population of these important insects.

Good plants are caraway, cilantro, dill, fennel,

sunflowers, cosmos, daisies, and laceflower.

One important item to note: do not purchase

ladybugs at your local nursery and release them

into your garden. Most of the ladybugs you find for

sale are a species called the convergent ladybug,

which are wild-collected during their mass winter

hibernation in some parts of the American West.

They’re then packaged and shipped around the

country for sale. This is a dangerous practice

because not only does it affect wild populations

of this ladybug, it can also potentially spread

diseases to other wild ladybug populations. If you

purchase ladybugs for release, only buy insectary-

reared insects.

Ladybugs come in many dierent colors and with

various spot patterns and other markings. This pink

spotted ladybug is one of more than 480 dierent

North American species.

Ladybug larvae are also voracious pest-munchers.

They look much like tiny, six-legged alligators. This one

is ready to chow down on some aphids.

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Troubleshooting 197

Minute Pirate Bugs

These tiny insects are the smallest of the

predatory true bugs commonly found in backyards

across North America. Measuring a mere^1 ⁄ 8 in.,

the oval-shaped adult is black with white wing

patches. The teardrop-shaped nymphs are even

smaller and are orange or yellow in color. Both are

surprisingly fast-moving, and both feed by piercing

prey with their needle-like mouthpart. Minute

pirate bugs feed on spider mites, thrips, aphids,

insect eggs, small caterpillars, lace bugs, scale,

whiteflies, and others. To attract them to your

container garden, plant lots of spring-flowering

plants. Since minute pirate bugs are often the first

predators to emerge in the spring, before prey

becomes readily available, they depend on early-

season pollen and plant sap as a food source. Good

plant choices for this beneficial insect include:

basket of gold, oregano, sage, wallflower, sweet

alyssum, crimson clover, and parsley.

Parasitic Wasps

There are over 6,000 different species of parasitic

wasps in North America. These tiny, non-stinging

wasps are some of the most beneficial insects in

the garden and are known to parasitize over 300

species of pests. Most species of parasitic wasps

measure between^1 ⁄ 32 and^1 ⁄ 2 in. long. Some species

have pointed ovipositors that look a lot like an

exaggerated stinger, but these are only used for

laying eggs. Most female wasps lay eggs inside or

on host insects. The eggs hatch and consume the

prey, eventually killing it. Some species pupate in

external cocoons, including the cotesia wasp that

attacks tomato hornworms, while others pupate

within the host’s body (like the tiny Aphidius wasp

that attacks aphid colonies). Depending on the

wasp species, they can help control aphids, beetle

larvae, bagworms, cabbage worms, potato beetles,

corn ear worms, cucumber beetles, cutworms,

caterpillars, Japanese beetles, leafminers, sawfly

larvae, squash vine borers, and many other pests.

Adult wasps consume nectar and pollen, and

they’re attracted to plants like allium, alyssum,

cosmos, dill, fennel, thyme, yarrow, coneflowers,

sunflowers, helianthus, and others.

Minute pirate bugs may be tiny, but they play a huge

role in controlling pests. Their favorite lunch includes

aphids, bean beetles, spider mites, leafhoppers,

whiteflies, and many others.

Parasitic wasps can be as tiny as a gnat or as large

as your pinky finger. They use hundreds of dierent

pest insects to house and feed their developing

young. This one is seeking out an aphid host.

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