Gardeners, Know Your Enemies

One of my strongest scent memories from childhood is the almost sickly sweet odor of Sevin dust, an insecticide my father applied to his beautiful bean plants to kill attacking Mexican bean beetles, voracious pests that riddled plant leaves and hatched thousands of small, bright yellow larvae that fed on both leaves and bean pods.
If only we had known that ladybugs, bright red beetles with black spots, love to eat Mexican bean beetle eggs and larvae, perhaps bean plants would have thrived in a naturally balanced garden, free of chemicals that kill both pests and beneficial bugs.  

Ladybugs are beneficial to gardeners

Gardeners who grow genetically modified organism seed (GMOs) and use an arsenal of chemical warfare weapons to protect crops from insects may enjoy an easier workload, but I believe growing heirloom seeds and employing hand-to-hand combat methods to eradicate hungry pests is a better way to connect humans to soil, food and spirit.

Helpful pollinators increase crop yield

Before you write me off as a dinosaur who ignores the latest, greatest technologies designed to make our lives easier, consider this story a friend told me several years ago.  I believe it captures the essence of "food disconnect" for many U.S. consumers. . . 

The woman walks into her backyard, selects a chicken from her flock and quickly ends its life.  She carries the bird to her kitchen, where she cleans and roasts it for her family's dinner.
Her daughter drives to the supermarket, selects a refrigerated package of chicken parts, returns home to her kitchen and prepares the meal for her family's dinner.
Her daughter selects chicken nuggets from the fast food drive-in menu, passes them to her children and drives to the soccer field while her children eat their dinner.

I often remember that story as I protect my crops from hungry pests; when I squash a bug with my fingers, (using gloves!) there is a visceral connection to my food source. 

Potato bug eggs under a leaf

Although I end the life of a creature, I know my efforts target only a pest, not a beneficial insect.  Before reaching for a chemical weapon, consider getting to know your enemies and your friends.  Rather than harvesting fruits and vegetables with a chemical odor and taste, your garden will produce beautiful delicious foods, an integral component of a balanced habitat.  

A hardworking honeybee pollinates a squash blossom

 

Last year, just before I visited a friend's home, she sprayed her container garden with a broad spectrum insecticide.  We observed piles of dying Japanese beetles as we chatted and I inwardly groaned when she said, "I don't understand why I never see ladybugs on my plants."  Hmmmmm. . . .

Tomato worms are hard to spot

Broad spectrum insecticides kill non-target pests, along with bugs that destroy our crops.  Although I will admit to plant envy when I see eggplants without flea beetle-riddled leaves and huge potatoes growing bug-free, my efforts produce unblemished fruits and vegetables that boast superior flavor and I never miss that sickly sweet Sevin dust odor I remember from childhood gardens. 

Colorado potato beetles multiply quickly, but squashing adults means fewer pests

Make plans this year to identify your garden enemies and deter them without chemicals.  Although plants may suffer some ill effects, you will enjoy watching a butterfly's delicate dance from blossom to blossom, the curious peering of a praying mantis or a honeybee's flight back to a hive, pollen sacks heavy with harvest.  Fresh, homegrown flavor is a delicious bonus!
  

Chemical-free heirloom tomatoes: No bugs, beautiful and delicious!