Insects Archives

Wasp, a reputation that deserves a makeover

Always a hassle around the picnic basket, sometimes even a painful sting, the wasp doesn’t seem to manage positive vibes, does it? But did you know its larva devours incredible amounts of insect pests that would otherwise damage our plants?

Woodlouse, who would’ve guessed roly-polys were so useful?

The woodlouse is not a garden helper in the “classic” sense: it doesn’t hunt pests, nor does it help in pollination.

Scale insects – techniques and organic treatments to avoid them

Scale insects like mealybugs are among the most common parasites on indoor plants.

Aphids, how to get rid of them?

Aphids are fearsome insects that attack leaves and feed on plant sap. There are natural ways to treat against them. Leaves curl up and become sticky.

Foamy spit on plants: harmless parasite or big problem?

I’ve spotted some sort of frothy bubbles on a few of my plants, it looks like “spittle”, is it a problem? → Shared by Dominique, France No doubt, you’re dealing with a spittlebug.

Caterpillars, organic treatments to control them

Caterpillars are butterfly larvae that come in many different shapes, colors and sizes, but the damage they do is always the same.

Two caterpillars on a nasturtium leaf with pellets of waste.

Boxwood tree moth, treatments to control treat its caterpillars

The Boxwood tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is an insect of the Crambidae family in the Lepidoptera order.

Caterpillar of a moth, eating boxwood leaves

Potato beetle, strike the striped Colorado beetle early!

These little striped beetles are definitely a hassle! The Colorado potato beetle devours leaves with terrifying speed!

Whitefly, techniques and organic treatments to avoid it

Whitefly is a tiny insect that attacks all kinds of plants, particularly: hibiscus, geranium, greater celandine, fuchsia and certain vegetables

Cranefly, harmless Daddy Long Legs… but voracious larva!

Though the adult cranefly doesn’t harm plants in the garden or vegetable patch, the same cannot be said for its larva. Cranefly larva (leatherjacket is a common example) will indeed devour roots of plants, killing them from below. Luckily this is not inevitable. There are ways to limit the damage they cause. Cranefly key facts: […]

Thrips, tiny insects that infest plants

Thrips are tiny insects – nearly microscopic – that either destroy or protect plants.

Cute and generous, the common honeybee

These days, the domesticated honeybee often makes the news for sad reasons: populations are dwindling and environmental consequences are dire. Indeed, an individual honeybee is able to pollinate over 700 flowers an hour. This extraordinary performance makes it a precious ally in the vegetable patch and orchard.

Gall wasp, a parasite on citrus, oak, and flowers

Gall wasp is an insect that lays eggs in soft tissues in trees, flowers and other plants. As the larvae develop, a gall forms and

Predator wasp, a voracious feeder… of pests!

As soon as the word wasp is mentioned, we all shudder at the thought of that insect that somehow always finds ways to turn a nice family picnic into a frenzied gaggle of panicked people! But did you know there were a great many wasp varieties? One of which is particularly interesting: the predator wasp.

Hunting predator wasp with caterpillar prey

Beneficial insects that lend us gardeners a hand

These feed on pests, help plants reproduce, and give the soil better structure. Beneficial insects really give us a real hand in the garden!

Insects that are beneficial for the garden

Bollworms, dreaded caterpillars defoliating vegetables

Typical of many insects (and even more so for butterflies), adult bollworms won’t cause any damage in the garden or vegetable patch. However, caterpillars and larva that emerge from their eggs can devastate nearby plants.

Large bollworm on a cabbage leaf with excrements

Hoverfly: looks like a wasp, flies like a hummingbird, works like a bee!

The hoverfly: even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve probably seen them before and wondered what kind of insect this was. In spring and summer, one often sees them flying around, hovering at a standstill around melliferous flowers and trees.

Provide small animals with shelter

Birds, insects, hedgehogs… These small animals are very useful to help manage gardens in a natural manner. It makes a lot of sense to provide them with housing and shelter before winter sets in.

Housing and shelter for a small garden animal, the hedgehog

Organic ant control – effective repellent plants and treatments

Natural organic ant control is possible and effective. Here are a few tricks to fight against these tiny insects.

Ants on a stone margin being repelled with organic treatments.

Earwig, fearful pinchers we can rejoice about!

A long, thin body with terrifying plier-like pinchers at the tip, anybody will instantly recognize an earwig when it crawls along! In the garden, people often accuse it of damaging plants.

Ladybug, the assistant gardener

The Good Lord’s beetle is an incredible bug that feeds on aphids. It is the best of the gardener’s friends.

The ladybug lifecycle, helping us out at every stage

A 10th century legend, over a thousand years ago, relates the story of a man condemned to death for having murdered someone. As he claimed his innocence, a ladybug landed on his neck and the executioner stayed his ax.

Ladybug: the lifecycle of this precious garden assistant

Green lacewing, the genesis of aphid lions

Green lacewing also goes by more dramatic and telling names: golden-eyed fairy, aphid lion, aphid wolf… and each name reveals how much of a beneficial insect this is to a gardener trying to control pests. Larvae from this insect family seem to have a single goal in life: to devour aphids.

Ground beetle, its favorite food is slugs!

One of the most important beneficial insects in the garden is the ground beetle family. This fearsome predators have a voracious appetite which will certainly serve you well to control pests in your garden. Slugs and snails beware!

Attract animals to the garden

In these days of sustainable development and environmental protection, attracting animal and insect life in your garden is a necessity.

A deluxe insect hotel with holes, nooks and crannies for insects.

Mason bee, a solitary worker bee that burrows in the ground

Mason bee, Osmia, solitary bee… all these names designate the same pollinating insect. And don’t be fooled by its tiny scale! It is indeed able to pollinate as many flowers as its more famous cousin, the common honeybee.

Treatment against Otiorhynchus larvae

This little Otiorhynchus larvae, a kind of white worm, is also called “weevil”. It sets up its nest in root crowns of flowers, ornamental plants and vegetables.

Otiorynchus larva in the ground, like a short white worm or caterpillar

Bumblebee, bumbling along and heavyweight pollinator

A voluminous body, a louder-than-usual buzz, and colorful fuzz all around – the bumblebee is easy to identify! A particularly active beneficial insect in the garden, it is a diligent pollinator that runs in the same class as the common honeybee: the heavyweight class!

Aphids and ants on hibiscus killing off flower buds

All the species and varieties of Hibiscus are vulnerable to aphids. Here are the symptoms of such an invasion, and how to treat it.

Onion fly, the reason why maggots are eating up your bulbs

A fly that is slightly larger than the common housefly, onion fly is a destructive pest for certain Alliaceae plants. Not only do they reproduce extremely fast, but the larvae trigger bulb rot and eat the bulbs out from the inside.