Beneficials

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Springtail

These insects look very much like Springtaillarvae (in the Order Collembola). There are several different species. Its hard to classify these insects as either pests or beneficials because they can be damaging, but they also can consume plant pathogens and aid in the breakdown of organic matter. They carry their tails under tension beneath their bodies. When threatened, they "pull the trigger" and their tails launch them into the air and away from the disturbance/danger. Some kinds cause trouble with crops, but most kinds do more good than harm. They prefer moist environments and may become abundant in soils with excessive organic matter. There's more info at this web page. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html

By | 2016-03-25T06:52:46-07:00 March 25th, 2016|Beneficials|0 Comments
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Springtail

These insects look very much like Springtails (in the Order Collembola). There are several different species. Its hard to classify these insects as either pests or beneficials because they can be damaging, but they also can consume plant pathogens and aid in the breakdown of organic matter. They carry their tails under tension beneath their bodies. When threatened, they "pull the trigger" and their tails launch them into the air and away from the disturbance/danger. Some kinds cause trouble with crops, but most kinds do more good than harm. They prefer moist environments and may become abundant in soils with excessive organic matter. There's more info at this web page. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html

By | 2016-03-17T04:28:22-07:00 March 17th, 2016|Beneficials|0 Comments
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Grass Spider

This might be a grass spider, but we can't see it well enough to be sure. These spiders are commonly called "Grass Spiders" because they build funnel-shaped webs close to the ground in the grass. The spider hides in the narrow end of this funnel, which is usually protected by leaves or rocks. When an insect, spider, or other small creature crosses the wide end of the funnel, the spider feels the vibration and rushes out to grab the prey. Funnel weaver and grass spiders are incredibly quick, and can dash from the protected part of their web to the other end at lightning speed. Funnel weaver and grass spiders are beneficial predators. They very rarely leave their webs, so they don't often enter homes. More info: http://www.spiderzrule.com/grass1.htm

By | 2016-03-12T23:30:59-08:00 March 12th, 2016|Beneficials|0 Comments
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Parasitized Aphids

These appear to be parasitized Aphis (as best we can tell from the photo) These Aphids are dead and no longer capable of doing damage to your plants. In addition, Aphids are sap sucking insects and do not chew plant parts, so they are not doing that damage to your plants. Seeing this parasitization in your garden is a good thing! We've included a link about parasites of Aphids so you can learn about how this occurs and why its a good thing. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/index.html
Also, there are a number of other possibilities for pests that could be chewing the plant, so we've included a link to help with that too. It appears to be either beetle (maybe Darkling Beetle) or caterpillar (maybe Loopers). Beetles may not feed or be seen during the day, and some caterpillars blend in to the foliage very well, so you'll need to inspect leaves (both sides) and stems at various times of day to try and find the chewing culprit. If you find something and want to send us another close-up photo of what you find we'd be happy to look again.

By | 2016-02-22T03:58:54-08:00 February 22nd, 2016|Beneficials|0 Comments
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