Gardeners can find great value in beneficial insects that hunt pests. However, many predatory insects available online and in shops must be more effective for biological control. Suzanne Wainwright Evans of Buglady Consulting is my guest for this week to clear up myths about beneficial insects and explain how to increase the number in your garden so you can manage pest insects naturally.
Suzanne is a horticultural insectologist. She works in greenhouses, nurseries, theme parks, and landscapes. She creates a plan for each site to conserve and promote beneficial predatory insects which prey on pests. She also implements “bug in a sack” solutions, releasing insects shipped in from federally regulated bug farms.
Suzanne has degrees in entomology and environmental horticulture from the University of Florida. She lives in Pennsylvania. She has been working in the green industry for more than 30 years with a focus on pesticides and biological control. The Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers awarded Suzanne the ANBP Award of Excellence in 2020 for her outstanding contributions to augmentation biocontrol and its use within integrated pest management (IPM).
This question from a listener prompted me to choose this topic this week and bring in Suzanne: “I am looking for information about native lady beetles and mantes.” I always pass along information about the differences between native and non-native. This is something that many people are unaware of. Some people are buying these insects online instead of the native ones. Can you make a show about this? “I would love to breed the native mantis.”
This is a good starting point for a discussion with Suzanne. We can go in many different directions.
Today, gardeners talk about beneficial insects, including how to attract them, plant various plants, etc. Some people are successful in attracting beneficial bugs, but others do not. As Suzanne explains, when we see insects being sold in garden centers or online, they seem like a quick solution. But the truth is much more complex.
Before I begin my interview with Suzanne, let me remind you that my new book came out this month. You can find it online or in local bookstores. It is called “Vegetable Gardening: Your Complete Guide to Growing an Edible Organic Garden from Seed to Harvest.” This book contains new information and insider tips to help you improve your gardening skills and overcome challenges.
Organic Vegetable Gardening, my new Online Gardening Academy (TM) Premium Course, is scheduled for release in 2023. Register for the waitlist.
The problem with praying Mantises as a pest control
There are both native and invasive species of the praying mantis, or praying mantid, an easily recognizable predatory insect. Regarding biological pest control, Suzanne does not recommend using mantises.
It is easy to see the Chinese mantis, which can grow up to five inches long. The ootheca (its egg case) is large, about the size of a golf ball. It’s also apparent. Chinese mantis is the most common species sold for their purported pest control.
Suzanne says that even though Chinese mantids were not originally from the area, they are now part of the ecosystem because they have been around for so long.
Carolina mantis is the state insect for South Carolina and is native to America. It is also significant. Males can grow to 2.5 inches, while females are only a few millimeters shorter.
Mantises are voracious but also generalists. They may eat just as many pollinating bugs in your garden as pests. Suzanne says that they will eat any food, good or bad. She explains this is because of how they catch prey. Mantises perch and then grab insects as they fly by or move quickly. Bees and butterflies are the most common insects that move so quickly. Aphids, on the other hand, tend to be slow-moving pests.
She says that mantids eat quite a few pollinators if you watch them. “Yes, mantids are beneficial because they eat meat but do not target pests that feed on plants.
According to Suzanne, butterfly gardeners are especially concerned about mantises because they won’t be able to tell the difference between a monarch and a cabbage looper.
She says, “They don’t care. This idea of what’s a pest or what’s beneficial depends on your perception. A mantid’s perception looks at everything as dinner.”
