Bumblebee pollination

pollination Open field pollination Best practices Why are bumblebees good pollinators? Bumblebees are very effective and efficient pollinators as they visit [...] more pollen to the stigma than other pollinators. Benefits of bumblebees are: Bumblebees switch between trees and rows while pollinating. This benefits [...] pollination which is often required in various fruit or seed crops. Bumblebees are active from early morning till late at night and also at relatively low t

Bugs

Hemiptera Bugs What are bugs? Heteropteran bugs form a group in the order Hemiptera , a highly diverse group of insects, containing both harmful and beneficial [...] beneficial species. Heteropteran bugs are insects which have flattened bodies and fold their wings flat over their body when at rest. The wings overlap [...] the dorsal midline. Some bugs produce a pungent odour. Heteropteran bugs are hemimetabolous insects. Their life cycle consists of an egg, usually five

Flies

Diptera Flies What are flies? There are several flies that are pests in agriculture, horticulture and mushroom cultivation. Species that can cause damage [...] damage or nuisance, are particularly small flies of the families Sciaridae ( sciarid flies ) and Ephydridae (shore flies). The larvae of these insects generally [...] generally live on rotting plant material and are mostly found in the soil. The spotted wing drosophila , Drosophila suzukii , has recently developed into

Beetles

Coleoptera Beetles What are beetles? Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, a well-known group of insects that are easily recognizable on account of their [...] variety of form, size and habit. A number of species are a serious pest in crops or stored products. There are many useful beetles as well. For instance, ladybirds [...] possess a pair of membranous wings beneath the wing covers. Many species are very capable fliers but others cannot fly at all. Find solutions for beetles

Leaf miners

this family, only eleven are truly polyphagous. The species that cause most damage all belong to the genus Liriomyza and are very common in temperate regions [...] Diptera Leaf miners What are leaf miners? Leaf miners belong to the order Diptera (the true flies ) and form the family Agromyzidae. This is a family of [...] flies whose larvae tunnel into the leaves of plants, creating ‘mines’. There are many species of leaf miner affecting various crops in temperate parts of the

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera Caterpillars What are caterpillars? Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. Butterflies and moths form the order Lepidoptera [...] more than 150,000 species, that are easily distinguishable from other insects. Many of the butterfly species that are active during the day can be strikingly [...] strikingly colourful while moth flying at night are usually inconspicuously brownish are greyish. Adult butterflies do not damage crops. Most of them feed

Mealybugs and scales

order Hemiptera (the true bugs ). Coccoidea are at first sight barely recognizable as insects. The females are wingless and immobile, and covered with a [...] of this type of pest. Among ornamental crops, ferns are particularly sensitive to soft scales, as are oleanders and orchids. Armoured scales, unlike mealybugs [...] Hemiptera Mealybugs and scales What are mealybugs & scales? Mealybugs (family Pseudococcidae), soft scales (family Coccidae) and armoured scales (family

Aphids

control Learn more about What are aphids? Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that belong to the superfamily Aphidoidea. There are over 4,000 species of aphids [...] by the following characteristics: Size and shape: Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that are usually less than 6 mm in length. They have a pear-shaped [...] eggs that overwinter. The summer host plants are either herbaceous or woody, while the winter host plants are hardy, woody perennials. Aphids that do not

Spider mites and other mites

control Learn more about What are mites? Plant mites are a diverse group of small arthropods that feed on plant sap. They are found in a wide variety of habitats [...] spider mites are typically less than 1 millimeter in size, and range in color from pale yellow to green, brown, or red. They have eight legs and are closely [...] Plant mites generally thrive in warm and dry conditions, which is why they are often problematic in greenhouses and during hot, dry weather outdoors. Controlling

Thrips

hairs along both edges of the thin wings. There are more than 6,000 known species. Most are harmless, some are predators, and fewer than 20 species can cause [...] Thrips are tiny, slender insects that are typically less than 2 mm in length. They have a distinctive elongated shape, with long, narrow wings that are fringed [...] Thysanoptera Thrips What are thrips? Several species of thrips are a major problem in greenhouse horticulture. The Western flower thrips ( Frankliniella