In my garden there are all sorts of "beasties", some of them good, many of them not. Here are some photos of them.
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Caterpillar |
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| Caterpillar |
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| Earwig |
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| Earwig |
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| Aphids |
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| Snail |
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| Shield Bug |
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| Ladybird |
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| Robin |
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Cricket |
All the creatures in the photos above are "above-ground" ones, but I find that the worst enemies are the "below-ground" ones; the ones you can't see until it is too late. You usually only become aware of them when your plants wilt and die. I have had this problem recently with some of my bean plants. One day they look perfectly healthy, and the next they are dead. When I dig them up I find underground a squishy stem riddled with small creamy-white maggots. I had thought these were the larvae of the Vine Weeveil, but having looked at several pictures of Vine Weevil larvae on the internet I don't think they are. They look a lot like cabbage root fly grubs. Do Cabbage Root flies attack beans as well? Why would they do that when there are plenty of nice brassicas in my garden? I had this problem last year - except much more severely. I had to sow three lots of beans before I was able to get a viable set of plants. My remedy has been to apply Vine Weevil nematodes, and this year the problem has not been so acute, but maybe that is just down to luck - especially if the things are not Vine Weevils.
Many gardeners in the world seem to suffer bad bugs like young worms and maggots you mention. I've never heard of maggots feed beans.
ReplyDeleteIs the first caterpillar and elephant hawk moth?
ReplyDeleteVine weevils grubs are quite chunky with red heads.
Great shot of the aphids
Agghh Earwigs, scourge of the Dahlia grower!
ReplyDeleteWhen I find the catepillars/grubs I put them on the parking pad. In no time the birds com ein for a juicy snack!
ReplyDeleteEarwigs yerk. Definitely the ugliest and nastiest looking of the pests... but then I saw the squirrel. Aaaw how cute. We don't get squirrels here so although they may be a pest to you I just think of cartoons and fluffy tails.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo's.
ReplyDeleteYeuch! to the earwig. I associate them with Dahlia's which my Grandad grew for showing. Covered in them! And, be in no doubt, he tormented me relentlessy with tales of them burrowing through my brain from one ear to the other :)
Out of all your critters I'll take the robin. He's the gardener's friend indeed. Sorry to hear about the beans, I wouldn't know what to suggest.
ReplyDeleteOh dear although we live in different hemisphere, we have the same tiny critters living in our garden. We don't have squirrel here but we have possum.
ReplyDeleteloving your close ups, especially the little ladybird, something to wrangle the aphids.
ReplyDelete