Bees are an essential and indispensable part of the ecosystem; however, that does not mean you have to share your house with them. A beehive inside the property can be very inconvenient and pose serious threats to the inhabitants of the house. Identify the species before you begin the bee c...
Bumble bees are generally peaceful unless threatened, and can sometimes be seen digging in the ground. About 40 species make their home in the US, two of which are on the brink of extinction. As bumble bee nests are temporary, it’s usually best to leave them untouched when possible. Get...
in building crevices, inside old tree stumps, or under the eaves of houses or sheds. Some hornets, called ground hornets, even make their homes in the ground, which can be hard to spot. Remember, hornet nests are different from bee or yellow jacket nests, which have...
Caterpillars are cute, especially the ones that morph into the exquisite butterflies we all know and love. But you’ll think otherwise when you see the destruction these critters can inflict on your precious yard. Here, you’ll learn how to get rid of caterpillars in your yard, as well as...
The signs root aphid damage are similar, with curled or yellowed leaves and a failure to thrive. Root aphids cause infected plants to be susceptible to root rot, mildew, and other diseases, but many of the above-ground treatments aren’t effective. Root aphids are also common on indoor-gro...
What kills Japanese beetles but not bees? Neem oilis made naturally from the seeds of neem trees. And when mixed with water and sprayed onto plant foliage, it is fatal to beetles. And more importantly, not to bees, butterflies, ladybugs and other beneficial insects. ... To make, mix 4...
To remove dandelions naturally, you likely will need to get your hands dirty (weeding), do a lot of bending (mulching), or spend a bit of money (reseeding or resodding). These are some natural herbicides for your dandelion flowers. 1. Weeding Weeding may not be the quickest way to r...
Some insect-pollinated plants produce poisonous substances, so do bees visit those, and if so, can they 'control' the amount of natural plant poisons entering their hives? Jürgen Tautz goes to China to investigate.JüRGEN TAUTZUNIVERSITY OF WüRZBURG GERMANYThe Irish Beekeeper...
Until now, we’ve been doing one-on-one battles trying to kill squash bugs (adults). And it’s not an easy battle to win! For the gardener growing organically, rather naturally (not wanting to use even organic pesticides to upset the natural balance of the soil or inadvertently harm the...
Compare the nutritional value of insects to beef and even fish and it's pretty clear which one is the smart food. While having protein levels on par with caterpillars, lean ground beef and cod come up short in iron and vitamin levels. Crickets also contain a lot of calcium, which we kno...