Why Ladybugs Are the Best Thing You Can Add to Your Garden This Spring Spring is when everything in your garden begins again. Plants start to grow. Soil comes back to life. And—whether you notice it or not—so do the pests that can damage your plants before the season even gets underway. Most solutions try to stop that cycle. There’s another approach: work
Beneficial Nematodes: Natural Grub & Japanese Beetle Control for Fall When it comes to protecting your garden and lawn, few pests are as destructive as grubs—the larval stage of beetles like Japanese beetles, June beetles, and chafer beetles. These soil-dwelling larvae feed on tender plant roots, turning lush lawns into patchy brown carpets and leaving plants vulnerable to decline. But there’s good news: you
A Love Affair in the Garden: Beneficial Insects and Pollinators Working Together In the world of gardening, few things are as enchanting as the silent choreography between beneficial insects and pollinators. Beyond their shared role in sustaining plant life, science reveals an invisible yet powerful connection—one driven by electric charge. As a bee flits from flower to flower, it gathers a positive
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 2 ...Unexpected — and Wonderful — Consequences Marlis had struggled for years with fire ants. How could she control these aggressive, persistent, painfully-biting ants without using toxic chemicals in the garden and yard, where her children and pets roamed and played? Acting on a recommendation from a friend, she discovered the natural, highly
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 1 Marlis, an experienced gardening enthusiast, relocated from Southern California to Texas about twenty years ago. She was excited to have a larger space to plant the garden of her dreams. Today, gorgeous trellises support her climbing tomatoes and cucumbers. The spacious green lawn stretches from the house to the Texas hills, providing
Why Use Beneficial Insects? Everyone is familiar with the term “survival of the fittest”. The history of pest control illustrates this concept. As chemical usage grew among commercial farmers and home gardeners, pests kept pace and did their best to resist harsh pesticides. While we may have succeeded in killing most of the bad bugs, the small percent that did survive passed their resilience
There's a New Sheriff in Town Perhaps the most common question we receive in Garden Centers around the country about Beneficial Nematodes is, “Does it work on …..?” YES! As in all of nature, the bug world contains both predators and prey. As gardeners, we tend to think of bugs as bad guys or good guys. There are the bugs that eat the fruits of
Save the Insects; Save the Planet You may have heard of an “insect apocalypse”. News stories sometimes refer to it as “insectageddon”. While it may be a relief for us to go outside and not have to deal with clouds of insects spoiling our picnics, the truth is that having fewer bugs is simply NOT good for the planet. Oliver Milman, an environmental journalist,
The Miraculous Ladybug Ladybugs. Ladybirds. Lady beetles. Many names and many legends have been attributed to these charming creatures. We like to think of them as the “gateway bug” to biodiversity in your garden or yard. Click here to watch our founder as he extols the virtues of the humble ladybug. Let’s look at the A-B-C’s of ladybugs to learn more about these charming
A “Hot Topic”: Red Fire Ants! At the beginning of this year, Julie, a consultant for Organic Control, Inc., moved from Southern California to the Southeast. About a month ago, she noticed strange new mounds in her backyard that seemed to have appeared overnight. With a little research, she discovered the source of the mounds: the Red Imported Fire Ant. Known as RFAs or RIFA
