What type of bugs/animals subsitute for pestisides?

Question

instead of using pestisides what kind of animals/bugs do the job of pestisides?

Answer 1

Ant Lion, Assassin Bug, Ground Beetle, Lacewing, Ladybug/ Ladybird (both adult and larva), Praying Mantid, Syrphid Fly Larva, Tiger Beetle, Braconid Wasp (pupa stage), And let's forget our friends, the birds.

http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/

Answer 2

Hi i like the idea of the use of the following animals being used instead of using pestidices to eradicate weeds. Thought the info might be of use :-D

In places in Australia where the Prickley Acacia is growing graziers are using camels and goats to eradicate it. Apparently the sucessful method of the combined use of these animals is that the goats attak the bark of the tree which leads to the tree becoming ringbarked. Which results in a lot of damage to the tree, slows growth, and eventually kills.

The camels get up into the higher trees as they can reach higher. The tend to eat the seed pods and flowers which stops a large amount of the seeding as well, as stunts the growth of the tree just through general damage from eating the tree's foliage.

While goats and camles are the most popular choice, I hear there are other animals being used as well.

Here's a couple of links:

http://www.weeds.org.au/docs/Prickly_Aca...

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/xchg/d...

Answer 3

several, you got insects that eat other insects like praying mantises and spiders. and you got several animals that kill insects like bats, birds, frogs, and lizards. there's even some parasitic insects that do the trick like the parasitic wasp that lays its eggs in fly pupae killing the fly before it becomes an adult, some fish eat mosquito larvae

Answer 4

Encourage both birds and bats to take up residence. Make a small pond just a couple of feet wide at a maximum (like a good sized bird bath at ground level or multi-level) that has clean water every day. That will encourage all the flying and walking bug eaters. Put out bird feeders and keep them with a little food everyday especially in the winter. I say a little as they can be huge pigs and you want them to eat bugs, not get fat on seed. Many birds have varied enough diets so they eat both, but even the strict seed eaters will attract other birds just by being there comfortably. Bat food is a little harder. If you set out a high altitude small watt light in an open area where they have room to fly and swoop (they don't need a lot) they will come and stay. It is great fun to watch them feed at night. And that low watt bulb will attract a lot of bugs up to it for the kill. That gets the day garden bugs and covers also the night flyer's. Houses for birds are great projects, especially with kids, but don't forget to service them every early spring. Clean and disinfected (mites!) will be appreciated in their little hearts. Bat houses are equally fun and need the same care. Below is a link that has bat house plans at no cost about a third of the way down the page.

Encouraging birds and bats (they live entirely on bugs) really does help a lot and makes your garden a real wonderland. If you have the time and room you can also consider chickens or, even better, pea fowl. Even weeder geese. And not only will you have a resident bug eatin' bird (or weed eater) but they are beautiful and you get fresh eggs, the flavor of fresh eggs will spoil you, never to buy a store bought egg again. The second link below has some great pic's and info on a beautiful gardening accessory, the bird. if the water is accessible out side of the garden fence, the four footed animals will come at night especially. Raccoons can be a terrible problem if you have them and will require some real thought to keep them at bay. Skunks and possums will be a good friend and will keep the perimeter cleaned up so bugs heading in will be stopped and the dead zone will get those in to come out in their blind attempt to spread out.

All animals, especially bats are fun to observe from a distance. Stay away from them, and don't be fooled. You will get bit even if your motives are pure (wounded animals or sick animals are the most dangerous). If you get bit the animal will have to be caught and killed to check for rabies, and that is done by sending the animals head to a state lab. So no one wins. Bats do good work, but no touching ever ever.