{"id":16867,"date":"2020-02-07T14:59:30","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T17:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=16867"},"modified":"2025-05-27T17:11:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T20:11:03","slug":"know-your-virginia-beach-beneficial-bugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/virginia\/virginia-beach-va\/know-your-virginia-beach-beneficial-bugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Know Your Virginia Beach Beneficial Bugs"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades gardeners have cast disapproving eyes on most creatures that crept, crawled, or buzzed in the backyard. That\u2019s changing as scientists and homeowners learn that a rich biodiversity<\/a> \u2013 which includes bugs \u2013 is the natural order of things.<\/p>

\"Dr.
Dr. Thomas Kuhar<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWe should be aware our backyards and landscapes are alive. We\u2019ve gone too far to have things perfect in our yards and lost a lot of biodiversity as a result,\u201d said Dr. Thomas Kuhar<\/a>, a professor of entomology at Virginia Tech University. \u201cAbout 99 percent of the insects we have are doing something good. They\u2019re getting rid of waste and keeping pests in check.”<\/p>

Virginians are fortunate to host a wide array of wildlife, many of which often visit our backyards. Virginia Beach is especially blessed because of its location. Besides being on the coast, it\u2019s on the northern edge of the humid subtropical zone. That means it gets plenty of warmth, abundant rainfall, and relatively mind winters.<\/p>

\u201cInstead of having a sterile environment, you can have all kinds of critters, and most are not going to hurt people at all,\u201d Dr. Kuhar said. \u201cA good living system is very healthy and resilient.\u201d<\/p>

\"Bug
?. Credit Tom Kuhar<\/figcaption><\/figure>

In short, the region is ideal for letting nature take care of itself \u2013 unless humans interfere. Dr. Kuhar sees two forms of human interference as doing the most damage \u2013 pesticide use and turf expansion.<\/p>

In addition to killing pests, insecticides kill beneficial insects, including those that eat harmful bugs. Many exterminators<\/a> refuse to use chemicals that might kill pollinators that are vital to the world food chain.<\/p>

\u201cAlso, the sulfates end up in water resources, and insecticides end up in groundwater,\u201d Dr. Kuhar said.<\/p>

Homeowners\u2019 love of big grassy yards also interferes with nature. “We have way too much turf that needs to be maintained and it\u2019s not serving any purpose,\u201d But the professor sees a ray of hope. \u201cThere\u2019s a movement toward letting more natural systems happen. It\u2019s encouraging,\u201d He notes that even some golf courses \u2013 the very picture of manicured turf perfection \u2013 are installing narrower fairways to allow room for the natural environment and its wildlife.<\/p>

Left to do its work, nature will attract these beneficial insects to your backyard:<\/p>

Ladybugs<\/h2>

This little bug is a workhorse when it comes to keeping your garden free of harmful pests. In their larval stage, ladybugs<\/a> look like tiny alligators and have a voracious appetite for aphids and other soft-bodied pests. The adults prefer nectar.<\/p>

Green Lacewings<\/h2>
\"Green
Green lacewing. Credit: Nick Davis<\/a>, CC by SA 3.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Green lacewings<\/a> are delicate green creatures about \u00be-inch long with gossamer wings. The adults devour aphids, and the larvae take on harmful caterpillars and beetles many times their size.<\/p>

Parasitic Wasps<\/h2>

Unlike their larger cousins, most parasitic species<\/a> are harmless to humans. They\u2019re smaller than stinging wasps<\/a>, and they feed on cutworms, armyworms, moths, and a variety of other pests.<\/p>

Ground Beetles<\/h2>

Ground beetles<\/a> as both larvae and adults dine on slugs, caterpillars, cutworms, and other damaging insects. You can buy some of these predators at nurseries and online to release on your property, but Dr. Kaher doesn\u2019t encourage it. \u201cI think it only works in a greenhouse system. Most bugs you buy come from California or Canada and will just fly away. We have enough natural predators.\u201d<\/p>

Attack of the Samurai<\/h2>
\"Samurai
Samurai wasp. Credit: Elijah Talamas\/USDA<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

While he\u2019s a strong believer in native beneficial predators, Dr. Kaher makes an exception for one immigrant from Japan that somehow found its way to the US. The Trissolcus japonicus or Samurai wasp<\/a>.<\/p>

It\u2019s a tiny predator that feasts on the eggs of the brown marmorated stink bug<\/a>. This pest does more than just smell bad when squashed. It has a voracious appetite for fruits, vegetables, and nut crops. It has taken a toll in Virginia and other mid-Atlantic states and is an urban nuisance.<\/p>

Since the stinkbug is also an invader from Asia, it makes sense to import its natural enemy. Tests are underway to see if an intentional release of these little wasps might control the growing infestation.<\/p>

Keeping the Beneficial Bugs in Your Yard<\/h2>

To attract and keep beneficial insects in your yard, Dr. Kuhar recommends having a diverse mix of native flowers and shrubs. \u201cYou want plants that will bloom at different times. You don\u2019t want to have just one thing. Have annuals and perennials and various shrubs and bushes.” He adds, \u201cNative plants know how to grow here. They will provide more food for beneficial insects.\u201d<\/p>

The professor has come across few pests he didn’t like. “When people learn the basics of gardening with nature, they\u2019ll learn there are very few actual insect pests. Most are beneficial.\u201d<\/p>

Dr. Thomas Kuhar is a professor and integrated pest management specialist in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on the integrated pest management of insect pests of vegetable crops and turfgrass. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers and six book chapters on insect pest management in agricultural crops.<\/p>

Main image \u2014 marbled orb weaver eating a brown stinkbug \u2014courtesy Thomas Kuhar.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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