UMaine Extension bulletin cited in Press Herald column on beneficial bugs

A University of Maine Cooperative extension bulletin was cited in a Portland Press Herald column titled “Pests in your garden? Encourage the good insects to get on the job.” “Over 97 percent of (insects, spiders and related species) usually seen in the home landscape are either beneficial or ‘innocent bystanders,” according to the bulletin, “Beneficial Insects and Spiders in Your Maine Backyard.” Many of these beneficial insects kill the ones that are harmful or damaging to a garden. These good insects include lacewings, lady beetles, hover flies, and a variety of wasps and spiders, according to UMaine Extension. The bulletin recommended planting umbrels — a category that includes Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, Angelica and fennel — to attract beneficial insects, as well as composites like sunflowers, coneflowers and daisies; and spikes, such as goldenrod, lavender and hyssop. The column cited several other ways to help plants resist insect damage listed in the bulletin, including, “Give them enough to drink. Don’t overfertilize, especially with nitrogen, which promotes the growth of aphids. Keep mulch away from the stems of plants.”