Insects

There are scores of insects in every garden, some tiny and some huge! Discover the main ones you might come across. Rarely are they dangerous.

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.
honey bee

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?
Wasp on a piece of old wood

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.
Aphid

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: […]
Cranefly, daddy longlegs, Tipula

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

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

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.
Earwigs on a yellow flower

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.
Green lacewing adult on flower

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!
Ground beetle with metallic colors

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.

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!
Bumblebee hovering near a flower

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.
Onion fly
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