Bugs, Good or Bad?

H_TX_2 4/9/2013, 1:37 pm

Okay if anyone has done any homework on particular bugs or other creepy crawly critters please share here so we can all benefit from the knowledge.

H_TX_2 4/9/2013, 1:41 pm

Last year I found an assassin bug and got excited. Then I saw a bunch of them and thought it was really cool. Later in the summer my pepper was covered in leaf footed stink bugs. Come to find out the beneficial assassin bug nymph and the leaf footed stink bug nymph look very similiar.

Assassin nymphs typically have white spots and are more solitary
Bugs, Good or Bad? A89c38

While leaf footed nymphs do not have white spots and tend to congregate in clusters
Bugs, Good or Bad? Bugbabiesblog

When you see something like this think of the old west movies where the good guys wear white hats and the bad guys wear black.

H_TX_2 4/9/2013, 1:52 pm

As far as I can tell there are no beneficial grubs so whenever I see one I throw it onto the driveway for the birds. My first year I thought since it is the ground it is good for the soil. It is a future beetle and I think most beetles are bad for your garden.

Centipedes on the other hand are predators that are beneficial to the garden and not harmful to humans or plants (the North American varieties). So while they look like something you want to kill ASAP while trying not to scream like a little girl, just take a deep breath and let the centipede go about his day.
Bugs, Good or Bad? Gardncnt

quiltbea 4/9/2013, 4:26 pm

There are a few ladybug-type beetles that are baddies.
Bugs, Good or Bad? Bugs_m10

This is the Mexican Bean beetle with 16 black spots, 8 on each half.

Bugs, Good or Bad? Bugs_s10

This is the Squash lady beetle with 14 black spots, 7 on each half. Both are notorious for ruining your crops.

**camprn** 4/9/2013, 4:38 pm

H_TX_2 wrote:Okay if anyone has done any homework on particular bugs or other creepy crawly critters please share here so we can all benefit from the knowledge.

If you go to the PESTS subforum there are a bunch of stickies with links to tons of valuable information.

Windmere 4/9/2013, 5:12 pm

H_TX_2 wrote:As far as I can tell there are no beneficial grubs so whenever I see one I throw it onto the driveway for the birds. My first year I thought since it is the ground it is good for the soil. It is a future beetle and I think most beetles are bad for your garden.

Centipedes on the other hand are predators that are beneficial to the garden and not harmful to humans or plants (the North American varieties). So while they look like something you want to kill ASAP while trying not to scream like a little girl, just take a deep breath and let the centipede go about his day.

My wife and daughter did at one time shriek when they saw this bug. However, I had learned about their "good traits" and when I told them about their predatory nature, no more screaming. They do, however, ask that I carefully take centipedes outside of the house to the yard.

Triciasgarden 4/9/2013, 5:31 pm

I thought centipedes were bad bugs so I learned something new. I do need to study up on insects.

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Predatory centipedes

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