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A significant problem that comes with landscape design is trying to combat the different types of pesky insects that will come in and feast on your plants. While pesticides can do the job, they often do more harm than good to your garden in the long run. The best solution is to find insects that can help you out.
Lady Beetles
Not only are lady beetles, better known as ladybugs, lovely to look at, but they also enjoy eating aphids. Aphids love to eat leaves, and they can kill your plants if they're left unchecked. An adult lady beetle will eat as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. If you see a small clutch of yellow eggs on leaves, you should leave them alone. They're lady beetle eggs, which will hatch into larvae. The larvae have a black and yellow coloring, and they can be quite voracious eaters themselves. Both American and Asian varieties are more than capable of doing the job.
Trichogramma Wasps
At first glance, wasps are pests that sting without any benefit. Some wasps can be quite beneficial to your garden. These particular types of wasps love to kill tomato hornworms, which love to feast on and destroy your tomato plants. The wasps get rid of them by laying eggs in the worms. The eggs soon hatch, and the larvae will devour the host caterpillar's body. Keep in mind that not all caterpillars should be dealt with in this way. Many of them will become beneficial to your garden as butterflies.
Praying Mantises
If you aren't sure what insect loves a particular type of pest, then sic a praying mantis on your enemy. Mantises aren't picky about what comes their way, so they're perfect for combating unknown infestations. You need to be careful, however, since they'll also eat good bugs if they're hungry.
If your friendly bugs aren't able to finish the job on their own, then you may have to consider a stronger approach. At Cut-N-Edge Lawn & Landscape, we can provide you with that approach while ensuring that the rest of your garden remains unharmed. Our landscape design experts know how to deal with a variety of unfriendly pests who want nothing more than to devour your yard.
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