Twenty One Spotted Lady Beetle
He is very small compared to other Lady Beetles. I have seen several different kinds in the garden lately. So far this year I have seen a Squash Lady Beetle. Not so good, several cucumber Beetles spotted and striped, also not good. But there are several red varieties out there as well. Amazing all the varieties of Lady Beetles. But this one, the Twenty Spotted Lady Beetle, seems to like fungus. Guess that is why he is on my plant loaded with Powdery Mildew! He has been hanging out on these plants for a few days. Not really sure if he actually does anything good. He is on the left and a red lady bug is on the right. Small isn’t he?
I have been running across several of these around the pumpkin and squash plants. I believe these are the pupae that the SVB has emerged from. And I was hoping that these things would be gone by now, but no. I keep seeing them hanging around my squash and cucumber plants. And I have still seen some eggs.
And these little buggers are just tearing up my beans! I have these solid ones and some with rectangle spots as well. These are bean leaf beetles.
Lady Beetle Larvae! I hope he eats a bunch of bad buggers for me!
This morning I spent most of Eli’s naptime killing Squash bugs! A bunch of them! I took EG’s tips from last year and sprayed the plants with some water to get them to come up to the tops. Sure enough, a bunch of them did. Nymphs and adults! Killed a bunch I tell ya! There are squash bug remains all over the pumpkin plants!
A lovely worm hiding in my tomato plants. I am assuming it is a Tomato Fruitworm, but not positive. All I know is he is eating my tomatoes. I have also found some holes in some of my tomatoes made by similar worms. He has a few eggs there with him too. All have now seen the same fate as the squash bugs!
I found these down by the ground on the tomato branch. The eggs look like the squash bug eggs. So, I wonder if these little bugs are attracted to them or if they are hatching from them, but they do not look like squash bug nymphs. I did not kill these since I did not know what they were yet. I’ll be sure to edit this to add whatever information I find out.
It seems my good bugs are out numbered by my bad bugs! I think next year I am going to try to do a bit more companion planting. I didn’t plant any flowers at all in the garden this year. Last year I had some marigolds and not much else. Anyone have any luck with companion planting? What varieties?
Those are my bugs this week! Ha!
Happy Gardening!
I planted Borage this year as a tomato hornworm deterent. The Borage may be working as so far not one hornworm sighting another benefit from the Borage, bees LOVE it! Good luck with the nice variety of buggies you've got, Robin
ReplyDeleteFortunately for me, my 2 1/2 year old son loves to catch and squash bugs! I haven't had much trouble with them since he plays - I mean helps - in the garden every day.
ReplyDelete~Kimmi
I'm so glad that the water trick worked for you. Bugs are every where this time of year, and I've certainly got more than my share, too!
ReplyDeleteRobin, I have thought about Borage before! I think I need to get serious and plant some!
ReplyDeleteKimmi, eww! I don't know if I would want my kiddos playing with those things! LOL Ha! They are like me, chicken of a bug! Yep, I did that to them! Nice of him to help you though!
Normally I find that the good outnumber the bad. Maybe not right away but eventually. I am a squash bug squisher. Actually I don't have a problem with soft bodied/shelled things but I have advanced to bare handed adult beetle squishing. What is that bean beetle? I'll have to look him up.
ReplyDeleteOttawa, I am hoping my good ones will soon outnumber the bad! I have refrained from any sort of chemicals this year and last year, so maybe it will soon help! This is the first year I have had those bean leaf beetles, and only my second year with beans. But I planted a bunch more! And I squish with gloves! Except tomato worms, I break the whole stem off and step on it!
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