Praying mantis or mantid |
to now be finding baby mantis’s in my front and back yard....on the very same plants the squash bugs are hitting.
So here’s my question. To spray for the bugs or hope the praying mantis’ will feast on the squash bug buffet?
Squash bugs a close relative of stinkbugs and leaf footed plant bug. |
We should also be realistic about what praying mantis can and cannot do. They are not focusing on "bad guys" to help you, they are just looking for a meal. Their meals include "good bugs" and "bad bugs".
Bt insecticide |
An example is using Bt that kills only the larva or worms of moths and butterflies but we want to protect the praying mantis. It is totally safe for the praying mantis since it targets only the worms or larva of moths and butterflies. However, if we are realistic, it also kills the larva of butterflies which are not plant pests for our gardens.
However, if we use
insecticidal soap, which is also recommended in organic production, and apply
it to our vegetables or fruit trees, we are applying it is an
"indiscriminate killer"; it will kill any insect on contact, squash
bugs, leaf footed plant bugs, aphids, honeybees as well as praying mantis.
When we choose to use an "indiscriminate killers" but want to keep beneficials, like praying mantis, from getting harmed, then we must direct the spray on the insects we want to kill and avoid spraying the ones we do not want to harm.
This requires a lot of plant inspection on your part; looking for, identifying and targeting the "bad bugs" with the spray. Focusing on the use of beneficial insects as your primary method of controlling "bad bugs" limits your ability to use pesticides. You must either not use pesticides or select pesticides which will not harm the beneficial insects or direct any pesticide sprays so that they come in contact only with "bad bugs".
When we choose to use an "indiscriminate killers" but want to keep beneficials, like praying mantis, from getting harmed, then we must direct the spray on the insects we want to kill and avoid spraying the ones we do not want to harm.
One of the insecticidal soaps |
This requires a lot of plant inspection on your part; looking for, identifying and targeting the "bad bugs" with the spray. Focusing on the use of beneficial insects as your primary method of controlling "bad bugs" limits your ability to use pesticides. You must either not use pesticides or select pesticides which will not harm the beneficial insects or direct any pesticide sprays so that they come in contact only with "bad bugs".
Another approach is
to use these indiscriminate killers, such as insecticidal soaps, to keep bad
insects under control and realize you will have "collateral damage".
The "collateral damage" which occurs is the killing of good bugs and
bad bugs with the hope that the good bugs will recover after the spraying is
over. You also select "organic" pesticides that do as little damage
to the general insect population as possible. This type of spray program limits
the use of beneficial insects for any long-term control. It is really a
"spray and pray" program.
Enjoy your praying
mantids. They will migrate to other parts of your landscape as well as your
neighbors. Visit and inspect your garden and fruit trees often. Use plants
sprays when "bad bugs" are getting out of control and target your
sprays on these "bad bugs".
No comments:
Post a Comment