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West [email protected]

I have been Gardening for along time and have always loved the out doors ( hunting, fishing, hiking and of course gardening) and I have seen that mother nature always has the cure for everything and mankind can't compete with the billions of years that mother nature has been at work keeping things balanced. So any ways to shorten things up I have decided to buy some Benificial nematodes (they kill a crap ton of bad bugs including cucumber beetles and svb's) and some Braconid Wasps (they kill cucumber beetles). Any one out there try this methode? Good or bad results?

9/24/2012 10:59:10 PM

Muddy Waters

I'm thinking doing this next year as I dont spray for insects anyway in the kin cave.I might release some good bugs early on to get the 5% that do get in.I only dusted(lightly) with sevin twice this summer.I could actually stop that even.I think that can really save your leafs a lot of wear & tear.All the spraying is hard on there life expectancy.

9/25/2012 6:02:07 AM

West [email protected]

Not a bad price either about $45 and I can do my whole garden 5,000 square feet

9/26/2012 3:24:29 PM

West [email protected]

Here is a place in Howell that has them:
http://www.koppertonline.com/contactus.asp

9/26/2012 3:27:14 PM

Muddy Waters

That's 30 minutes from me.Thx!

10/2/2012 6:48:18 AM

Rapid City, SD

only good bug is a bug zapper

10/2/2012 9:46:42 PM

South Hero, VT

The problem with beneficial insects is they fly away if you don't construct a habitat for them that keeps them where you want them.

10/3/2012 7:27:56 AM

West [email protected]

Good point VTSteve, and I have decided to buy Nematodes cause they can't fly away and I'm going to plant the following to encourage the good bugs and discourage the bad bugs: Marigolds,Daisy,Catnip,oregano,Parsley,dill, and Cilantro. I'm also going to put a water source in (maybe one of those small ponds)

Here is a list of just some of the bugs that Nematodes kill while in the soil:
Japanese beetle grubs     White grubs     Army worms     Cut worms     Measuring worms (loopers)     Southern rootworm
Spruce budworm     Webworms     Sod webworms     Wire worms     Chinch bugs     Algae gnats
Fungus gnats     Gall gnats     Bark beetle     Bess beetle     Banded cucumber beetle     Click beetle
Colorado potato beetle     Flea beetles     Green June beetle     Pine beetle     May/June beetles     Mexican bean beetle
Scarab beetle     Southern pine beetle     Black fly     European Crane Fly     Fruit fly     Saw flies
European apply sawfly     Field cricket     Morman cricket     Southern mole cricket     Tawny mole cricket     
Common cockchafer
European chafer     Masked chafers     Rose Chafer's     Carpenter moth     Codling moth     Annual bluegrass weevil
Black vine weevil     Boll weevil     Pecan weevil     Pine weevil     Sweetpotato Weevil     Peach tree borer
Round headed borers     Stem borer     Wood borers     Billbugs     Bluegrass billbug     Hunting billbug
Imported fire ant     Assassin bugs     Stink bugs     Apple leaf roller     Black turf grass ataenius     Gall midges
Thrip     Termites

10/3/2012 1:23:57 PM

South Hero, VT

You've done your research--good work! It's better to build a habitat to attract beneficial insects naturally(it doesn't have to be fancy/expensive) than it is to buy the insects($$$$).

Build the habitat and they will come.

10/3/2012 7:16:14 PM

West [email protected]

if I build it they will come....lol, but then if they don't come or are in small #'s I might buy some after the habitat is already in place of course. I'm trying to build a sound game plan this year to fight Cucumber beetles and the dreaded SVB's I know that this was one of the biggest reasons I didn't hit a 1,000lbs. It feels like crap to watch your patch go down and know that the damage has already been done and there's nothing you can do about it. Beneficial bugs are just one of my weapons

10/5/2012 1:19:41 PM