S3E13 10 bugs you want in the garden, - The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio show

Replay of segment 1 of The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener Radio Show from 5-25-19
Heard on 860AM WNOV & W293cx 106.5FM Milwaukee, WI Saturday mornings 9-10AM CST
Heard on WAAM 1600 AM Ann Arbor, MI Sundays 7-8AM est
Heard on WWDB 860 AM Philadelphia, PA Sundays 7-8AM est
Heard on KMET 1490 AM Tuesdays 9 - 10 AM pst Banning, CA
listen here during show hours for your station:
WNOV https://tinyurl.com/y8lwd922
WWDB: https://wwdbam.com/
WAAM https://tinyurl.com/p68cvft
KMET https://www.kmet1490am.com/
Check out https://thewisconsinvegetablegardener.com/

Contact Joey and Holly:
Email them at [email protected]
Reach the show anytime through the Instant access text hotline 414-368-9311
Thank you for listening and downloading the show.

Topics: Joey and Holly talks Talk about 10 bugs that you want in your garden

Not all bugs are bad, and knowing which is friend and which is foe may be more important than ever to gardeners this year
Here are some of the herbs, vegetables and flowers she suggests will attract a wide variety of insects:
Make your garden as diverse as possible

Gardening Strategies That Attract Beneficial
Insect allies hate dust. Keeping the soil covered at all times, either with mulch or with growing plants, conserves moisture, moderates temperatures, and eliminates dust. It also provides habitat for ground and rove beetles. Try not to eliminate every weed. Leave some for the insects.
Before we get into our list, it is important to take a moment to consider why exactly you should turn to this method of biological pest control instead of merely grabbing the insecticide at the first sign of a spring aphid.
You don’t have to use chemical pesticides
This approach is totally organic
You will save money on pest control
You will help balance the ecosystem
It improves your soil
Many insects are resistant to pesticides. However, they’re not resistant to being eaten by a predator
You will be able to attract more pollinators
It requires little to no effort!
Remember, filling your garden with beneficial insects means that any chemical pesticide you use will harm them along with the bugs you are trying to eradicate. It is a good idea to avoid chemicals for the health and wellbeing of your family and pets as well.

Baby’s breath
Carrots
Dill
Feverfew
Goldenrod
Lavender
Lemon balm
Marigolds
Mustard
Nasturtiums
Parsley
Queen Anne’s lace
Rose-scented geraniums
Spearmint
Sunflowers
Sweet alyssum
Thyme

Ten good bugs you want in your garden
1. Bees Though this one should be obvious, bees are essential for the pollination of any garden. If you grow any type of fruit or vegetable or pollinating flowers, you will want to make your yard is a happy home for the bees.
How to attract them: Plant perennials, colorful annuals, and lots of fruits and veggies. Bees will come wherever there is nectar to be had.

Ladybug
Preys: aphids, whitefly, mites, fleas, Colorado potato beetle
Attracted by: Dill, Dandelion, Fern-leaf Yellow, Basket of Gold, Common Yarrow
Facts: Ladybugs can consume more than 5,000 aphids during their lifetime.
2. Praying Mantis
Preys: wide range including caterpillars, moths, beetles, and crickets
Attracted by: tall grasses and shrubs, cosmos, marigolds, dills
Facts: Mantis can turn their heads 180 degrees to view their surroundings.
3. Spiders
Preys: wide range including bed bugs, aphids, roaches, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and fruit flies
Attracted by: tall plants for weaving spiders, mulch for predatory spiders
Facts: Most spiders complete their life cycle in one year.
4. Ground Beetles
Preys: slugs, caterpillars, ants, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms
Attracted by: evening primrose, amaranthus, clover
Facts: Ground beetles are typically only active at night.
5. Aphid Midges
Preys: aphids
Attracted by: Dills, plants with plenty of pollen and nectar, source of water
Facts: aphid (continued)