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Helper…continued from page 34
larvae in which to lay her eggs. The
closely related Braconid wasps also
parasitize many caterpillars. I have
occasionally found the remnants of a
European cabbageworm with
Braconid cocoons on it. There are
other tiny wasps that I wouldn’t normally
notice except when I have
chanced upon clusters of their
cocoons on parasitized Gypsy Moth
caterpillars.
The larger wasps, especially yellowjackets,
are a mixed blessing. Early
in the season, they are mainly interested
in finding caterpillars to feed
their developing larvae. However, by
the end of summer, they switch to
sweet foods for themselves — this is
when they become more of a nuisance
with their persistent interest in
our food and drinks at picnics! Baldfaced
hornets will stick to their diet of
live insects and not be a problem,
unless of course someone disturbs
their nest. All social wasps will defend
their nests aggressively if they feel
threatened.
Midway through the summer, I
expect to see many soldier beetles,
particularly on flowers of the daisy
family. These elongated beetles
have predominantly yellow wing
covers with black markings. They
feed on pollen but also on soft-bodied
insects such as aphids, leafhoppers
and small insect larvae. One of
my friends welcomes the arrival of
this beetle because she then notices
a decrease in the number of cucumber
beetles in her garden. Ground
beetles shy away from the light and
live mainly under mulch and rocks.
They are quite large, with shiny
wing covers, and are tireless
hunters. Some even climb trees at
night in search of insects. I usually
spot them when I am working the
soil — but only a glimpse as they
scurry away, disappearing into the
nearest hiding place.
The lacewing, another gardener’s
friend, is common enough, but it
is so delicate I only ever catch sight of
one when it flies off or when I see
them at night attracted by outdoor
lights. I have yet to observe its larva,
commonly called the aphid lion. It
feeds on other insects as well as aphids
and has a large pair of hooked jaws at
the front of the head, which give it a
rather menacing appearance.
I can’t miss the buzzing bumblebees
and I pause to watch as they
emerge, often dusted with pollen,
from the flowers they visit. They are
greatly valued for the pollination
work they do as they industriously fill
the pollen baskets located on their
back legs.
All of these encounters reassure
me that my garden is alive and well,
and that nature is at work in every
corner. To entice more of these beneficial
insects to stay in my garden I
always include small islands of flowers
that are known to be especially
attractive to them. I plant sweet
alyssum, proven to be a very effective
magnet for a diversity of useful
insects. Other favoured flowers
include cosmos, coreopsis, sunflow-
Roll Call in the Garden
Beneficial insects in our gardens
ers and yarrow. Herbs such as borage,
spearmint and thyme, plus many
of the carrot family like coriander,
dill, chervil and fennel, are also
excellent. Here and there, I also
place shallow dishes of water, with
pebbles for convenient landing, so
they will have a place to drink.
If you are curious to learn to recognize
some of the bugs mentioned
above, look up the following website:
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat
alog/pdf/ec/ec1613-e.pdf.
Monique Paré is an experienced gardener
who has developed a keen interest in
everything that moves in the garden.
Being a passionate photographer of
nature in her spare time, Monique puts
aside her camera to volunteer with the
Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton, a
group that assists home gardeners by providing
clinics and lectures, and answers
questions by phone (613 236-0034) or
e-mail mgoc_helpline@yahoo.ca.
Ladybugs
Their larvae look like colourful mini-alligators.
Hover Flies
They feed on nectar while their larvae feast on aphids and other similar
small insects.
Wasps – Ichneumon and Braconid
They parasitize many caterpillars.
Wasps – tiny and fatal
They parasitize eggs and larvae of other insects.
Soldier beetles
They like pollen but also feed on small insects.
Lacewings
Their larva, the aphid lion, lives up to its name.
Ground beetles
They are shy, live in dark places and are tireless hunters of insects.
Make your garden more attractive to them by planting small islands of
the following: sweet alyssum, cosmos, sunflower, coreopsis; herbs like
spearmint, borage and thyme; and members of the carrot family such
as dill, coriander, fennel and chervil.
Ottawa Page 36 Due West/Due East Magazine • Summer 2008