Harmful and Helpful bugs in the veg garden
These little black and orange bugs have been trying to devastate my Red Russian Kale, broccoli and other cole or brassica plants. "Both the adult and nymph suck sap from the collard/cabbage plant, causing it to wilt, turn brown and die." Clemson U. I hand pick them off the plants though I've heard sprinkling flour on the plants help as much as poison. As you can see the broccoli heads are right there and I don't want to poison my food. The Red Russian Kale is still in the garden because I want it to flower and go to seed - want the seeds for the fall garden, you know. Harlequin bug Murgantia histrionica Also in the veg garden there are Lady Beetles, the most welcome of predators! Lady Beetles making the next generation. When I was growing up in Ohio in the 1950s, I would have made the Lightening Bug the state insect, but now I find out that The Convergent Lady Beetle is the state's insect. Sigh. "Lady beetles, or Ladybugs or coccinellids, a...