After listening to this week’s lectures on turf pests, it
seems that there is some help from beneficial insects to lower turf pest
populations, but to gain good control over a pest population one has to use a
chemical spray. I thought if the
beneficial insects were somehow attracted to a yard, the increased population
of the beneficials could then control the pest population and eliminate the need
for chemical spray. I figured I was not
the first to think of the idea of attracting beneficials, and did a little
research to find out what others already know.
It didn’t take me long to find out about the Larra bicolor wasp. This wasp parasitizes mole crickets by laying
an egg inside the cricket. The wasp
larva feeds on the mole cricket killing it within two weeks. The Larra bicolor wasp is not an aggressive
wasp because it does not form and guard nests, so you don’t have to worry about
being stung. And, yes, you can attract
this wasp to your yard. It feeds on
the nectar of the southern larra flower.
The flower is not very attractive, but I am all in for planting one or
two southern larra plants in my yard if it will help to minimize a turf
pest.
Image retrieved from:
http://midsouthentomologist.org.msstate.edu
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