Every spring I notice at least one or two colonies of bumble bees living
in the garden. They do a fabulous job of pollinating in the early
spring, long before the other pollinators appear. They feast on the
Pulmonaria and Vinca from early April on, and then get busy with the
myriad, sweet-smelling blooms of the wild black currant in mid-month. No
blooms in the garden wants for their attention all season long.

A big clump of ladybugs hibernated somewhere at the base of the plum
tree. They marched out one sunny spring morning and got right to it.
Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

I grow an abundance of flowers for bees and butterflies on the sunny
south facing slope ... and if you grow them, they will come. The
Monarchs are starting to show up now, fluttering among the echinacea and
the butterfly bushes. Sometimes, in the fall, I see them swarming
overhead before they head south across the lake.

I leave the seed heads in the wildflower slope up for the winter. By
early spring, all the seeds have been eaten by local birds and the
hungry migrants returning from places I'd rather be.

EV

EV in :

Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

yes, keep them hungry and they'll eat anything.
but keep them away from those cherries when close to rpiening, or they'll
leave you none.

:-)

" wrote:

EV in :

Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

yes, keep them hungry and they'll eat anything.
but keep them away from those cherries when close to rpiening, or they'll
leave you none.

:-)

Lady beetles are carnivorous. They prefer soft bodied insects such as
aphids, but will also eat other bugs, including their own kind. I've
documented them in the larval stage cannibalizing one another. Ladybugs
don't eat fruit or vegetation of any kind ... and that's a good thing.

EV

EV wrote:
" wrote:


EV in :


Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

yes, keep them hungry and they'll eat anything.
but keep them away from those cherries when close to rpiening, or they'll
leave you none.

:-)


Lady beetles are carnivorous. They prefer soft bodied insects such as
aphids, but will also eat other bugs, including their own kind. I've
documented them in the larval stage cannibalizing one another. Ladybugs
don't eat fruit or vegetation of any kind ... and that's a good thing.

EV



You're describing the old European lady beetles we all know and love.
The imported Asian lady beetles certainly eat fruit. I've seen them by
the hundreds in my apples; I don't think they will attack a perfect
apple, but once yellow jackets or birds or something make a little hole
in the apple, the ladybugs go after it. They enlarge the hole, which
then attracts more ladybugs.

They are a big problem for grape growers because when they get inside
the grapes, they stink up the juice when the grapes are crushed and they
can easily ruin the wine. At least with a ladybug infested apple, you
can see them.

BTW, they also bite people.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

EV wrote:
" wrote:


EV in :


Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

yes, keep them hungry and they'll eat anything.
but keep them away from those cherries when close to rpiening, or they'll
leave you none.

:-)


Lady beetles are carnivorous. They prefer soft bodied insects such as
aphids, but will also eat other bugs, including their own kind. I've
documented them in the larval stage cannibalizing one another. Ladybugs
don't eat fruit or vegetation of any kind ... and that's a good thing.

EV



You're describing the old European lady beetles we all know and love.
The imported Asian lady beetles certainly eat fruit. I've seen them by
the hundreds in my apples; I don't think they will attack a perfect
apple, but once yellow jackets or birds or something make a little hole
in the apple, the ladybugs go after it. They enlarge the hole, which
then attracts more ladybugs.

Interesting. I hadn't heard of this. But I did find some puzzling evidence on
my plums. The first time I saw them years ago, I thought they were ladybugs
that had somehow died just before becoming fully formed adults. I thought they
were must resting on the fruit to morph and had died. Then, when everyone
brought up plum curculios as a big probelm on plums, I checked some sites to
see what they looked like, and though my bugs don't look like the adult PC, I
thought they might be a pre-adult stage not shown. Now I'm wondering again.

They are a big problem for grape growers because when they get inside
the grapes, they stink up the juice when the grapes are crushed and they
can easily ruin the wine. At least with a ladybug infested apple, you
can see them.

The stupid thing is that the asian ladybugs were imported as beneficials in
vast numbers. Now, thanks to them, native ladybugs have been extirpated almost
everywhere the asian has been introduced.

Good intention, very bad idea. I get the chills whenever I hear about another
insect they want to release to combat some alien that was accidentally imported
and has no natural enemies. Importing alien bugs to battle alien bugs or plants
is a dumb idea at best.

New studies show that the main advantage that alien imports (insects, mollusks
and plants) have is that their usual parasites don't exist here. Whereas they
may be preyed upon by a dozen parasites on their home turf, here there are just
a few at most.


BTW, they also bite people.

This I know! :-D The first few times I transported ladybug larvae to the rose
buffet by hand, the little buggers bit me. I transported them in plastic cups
after that. They're now everywhere so I don't have to move them around. I
didn't introduce them here. They were very well established when I moved here.

EV

On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 19:30:15 -0400, EV wrote:

Lady beetles are carnivorous. They prefer soft bodied insects such as
aphids, but will also eat other bugs, including their own kind. I've
documented them in the larval stage cannibalizing one another. Ladybugs
don't eat fruit or vegetation of any kind ... and that's a good thing.


Most are carnivorous. Mexican bean ladybug, aka Mexican bean beetle
and the squash ladybug are plant feeders. ...I believe the reason the
larvae cannibalize each other is to get a protein that triggers the
the stoppage of the the juvenile hormone that now allows them to
pupate and become an adult.


Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!


It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

that's beautiful. thank you.

From: EV
Organization: Bell Sympatico
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.edible,rec.gardens
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 05:31:15 -0400
Subject: Some of the reasons I don't spray pesticides ...

Every spring I notice at least one or two colonies of bumble bees living
in the garden. They do a fabulous job of pollinating in the early
spring, long before the other pollinators appear. They feast on the
Pulmonaria and Vinca from early April on, and then get busy with the
myriad, sweet-smelling blooms of the wild black currant in mid-month. No
blooms in the garden wants for their attention all season long.

A big clump of ladybugs hibernated somewhere at the base of the plum
tree. They marched out one sunny spring morning and got right to it.
Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

I grow an abundance of flowers for bees and butterflies on the sunny
south facing slope ... and if you grow them, they will come. The
Monarchs are starting to show up now, fluttering among the echinacea and
the butterfly bushes. Sometimes, in the fall, I see them swarming
overhead before they head south across the lake.

I leave the seed heads in the wildflower slope up for the winter. By
early spring, all the seeds have been eaten by local birds and the
hungry migrants returning from places I'd rather be.

EV

wrote:

that's beautiful. thank you.

My pleasure. The wonderful thing about gardening forums is that there are
others with common interests, who derive enjoyment from gardening in similar
ways. I'm a fan of both the flora and the fauna.

Your organic greenhouse sounded great. :-)

EV



From: EV
Organization: Bell Sympatico
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.edible,rec.gardens
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 05:31:15 -0400
Subject: Some of the reasons I don't spray pesticides ...

Every spring I notice at least one or two colonies of bumble bees living
in the garden. They do a fabulous job of pollinating in the early
spring, long before the other pollinators appear. They feast on the
Pulmonaria and Vinca from early April on, and then get busy with the
myriad, sweet-smelling blooms of the wild black currant in mid-month. No
blooms in the garden wants for their attention all season long.

A big clump of ladybugs hibernated somewhere at the base of the plum
tree. They marched out one sunny spring morning and got right to it.
Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

I grow an abundance of flowers for bees and butterflies on the sunny
south facing slope ... and if you grow them, they will come. The
Monarchs are starting to show up now, fluttering among the echinacea and
the butterfly bushes. Sometimes, in the fall, I see them swarming
overhead before they head south across the lake.

I leave the seed heads in the wildflower slope up for the winter. By
early spring, all the seeds have been eaten by local birds and the
hungry migrants returning from places I'd rather be.

EV

you are a great person, ev...and i would LOVE it if you could possibly
contact me via private email...my earthlink spam go-getter will say HALT!
all spammers who go there...just request to be entered into my address book
and then we can communicate more closely without all the nuts. oh!! how do
you know that "I" am not a nut?? well...i am, sorta. i am a nut about not
adding any more chemicals to the waterways (one thing no one has happened to
mention). i'm also a nut against killing the birds, the bees, and any other
critter who was here before me (including white-tailed deer). so, if you
consider THAT being a nut, by all means, avoid me like the
plague...otherwise, dya think we could be gardening buddies?

From: EV
Organization: Bell Sympatico
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.edible,rec.gardens
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 04:42:21 -0400
Subject: Some of the reasons I don't spray pesticides ...

wrote:

that's beautiful. thank you.

My pleasure. The wonderful thing about gardening forums is that there are
others with common interests, who derive enjoyment from gardening in similar
ways. I'm a fan of both the flora and the fauna.

Your organic greenhouse sounded great. :-)

EV



From: EV
Organization: Bell Sympatico
Newsgroups: rec.gardens.edible,rec.gardens
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 05:31:15 -0400
Subject: Some of the reasons I don't spray pesticides ...

Every spring I notice at least one or two colonies of bumble bees living
in the garden. They do a fabulous job of pollinating in the early
spring, long before the other pollinators appear. They feast on the
Pulmonaria and Vinca from early April on, and then get busy with the
myriad, sweet-smelling blooms of the wild black currant in mid-month. No
blooms in the garden wants for their attention all season long.

A big clump of ladybugs hibernated somewhere at the base of the plum
tree. They marched out one sunny spring morning and got right to it.
Their children and grandchildren have been controlling the aphids, not
just on the fruit trees and the roses, but in most of the garden as
well.

I grow an abundance of flowers for bees and butterflies on the sunny
south facing slope ... and if you grow them, they will come. The
Monarchs are starting to show up now, fluttering among the echinacea and
the butterfly bushes. Sometimes, in the fall, I see them swarming
overhead before they head south across the lake.

I leave the seed heads in the wildflower slope up for the winter. By
early spring, all the seeds have been eaten by local birds and the
hungry migrants returning from places I'd rather be.

EV