For many, the idea of attracting bugs is appalling. However, the reality is that many bugs are beneficial for your garden. If you have an aphid problem, a well-placed mantis or a host of ladybugs can clean that right up for you. Butterflies add attractive whimsy to the garden. Spiders may give you creepy crawlies, but they can seek out and destroy other dirtier bugs mucking up the place. Better yet, these bugs don’t nibble away at your hard-earned work — they leave you with a lush and beautiful garden to enjoy at the cost of a few tiny friends.

Know Your Friends

What makes a bug beneficial in the first place? Beneficial bugs are defined by their capacity to wreak havoc on other invasive bugs. Some, like spiders or parasitic cutworms, are predators of nasty insects. Your little army might be a one-time D-Day or hang around occupying your borders for … Read Full Post »

Cow killer ants suffer from an identity crisis.

They aren’t ants and generally don’t kill anything, although their sting is painful enough to tip a cow. These are velvet ants. But their sting packs a punch, hence the “cow killer” stage name.

These insects aren’t ants at all, despite their nickname. They are a wingless species of wasp. Like other wasps, they pack a powerful sting when threatened. Orlando exterminators often get a call after area residents have found this out the hard way.

Fortunately, these insects are solitary and don’t form colonies like ants or paper wasps. Although their fearsome name suggests they regularly take on whole herds of cattle, the wasps are generally placid, living on nectar and water. However, they won’t hesitate to sting if disturbed. Because of their beautiful color and fuzzy, cuddly appearance, they often attract the attention of young would-be entomologists who want to trap the striking … Read Full Post »