In the vegetable garden, ladybirds are the ultimate cattle herders—shepherding aphids just like ranchers with livestock. These tiny beetles feast on aphids, keeping our crops safe from damage. With each ladybird devouring up to 50 aphids a day, they act as natural defenders of our greens, reducing the need for pesticides. So, if you spot a ladybird in your garden, let them stay—they’re working hard to protect your veggies! 
#GardeningTips #NaturalPestControl #OrganicGardening
Orb Weaver friend keeps the garden pests at bay!
#Spiders #NaturalPestControl #Nature #Wildlife
I just picked off a big juicy one from one of my tomato plants, then moved it to the driveway, where a sparrow swooped down and made off with it for dinner!
Don’t Kill That Tomato #Hornworm!!
Posted on July 5, 2020 by thegardendiaries
https://thegardendiaries.blog/2020/07/05/dont-kill-that-tomato-hormworm/
#LadybugLarvae & #Ladybug butt.
There were tons of ladybug #larvae crawling all over this #aphids infested plum tree. I only saw one mature ladybug but am sure there's more on the tree that I didn't see. They have a huge aphids buffet to feed on.
@Trilobyter As gross as it sounds, I've dealt with both by gently squishing the #aphids, and not so gently squishing the #beetles. Not sure what you could use on them that wouldn't affect the #monarchs. Do other folks have ideas?
#Gardening #GardeningForPollinators #Insects #NaturalPestControl #Milkweed
How to Get Rid of #FruitFlies — and Stop Them Before They Appear
Fruit flies are a common kitchen pest. Here’s how you can prevent and eliminate them.
by Becky Krystal
"There’s no need to pull out the #insecticide, DeVries says. That’s something you want to avoid in the kitchen, where you are preparing food. It’s also totally unnecessary and won’t solve the problem in the long term. If you want to eliminate the bugs you see flying, DeVries recommends an old-fashioned fly swatter or a vacuum cleaner, which you can empty outside.
"You can also trap them. Dellinger says there are commercial traps out there, but you can make one with materials you likely have on hand. Fill a small jar or container with half an inch of fruit juice, vinegar, apple cider or wine, and add a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent. Cover with plastic wrap and then punch a few holes in the wrap. The flies will be attracted by the bait, but won’t be able to escape because the soap breaks the surface tension of the water, trapping the flies. Another model involves a similar strategy of a bait and soap, but you construct it by cutting a bottle (soda, water, etc.) in half and then inverting the top half and setting it into the bottom to create a funnel, DeVries says."
