These Wild Animals Can Help Guard Your Garden
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Wild Animals That Help Protect Your Garden
When you grow plants for food, you are part of a cultural revolution that dates back more than 10,000 years. It may not sound very revolutionary today, but agriculture has helped our ancient hunters and gatherers plant the seeds of civilization. It was almost as if humanity had finally started to get rid of the jungle.
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As much as agriculture has changed us, the last part never happened. We are still entwined in nature, which provides us with food, resources, and other ecosystem services.
But it also gives us pests, which sometimes obscure potential allies who share our habitats. Fences and various obstacles can help defend farms and gardens from wildlife, but other animals can too if we allow it.
Growing food does not mean criticizing Mother Nature; it's about knowing her well enough to get her help. For home gardeners, this generally means avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides, as they tend to kill more than just pests.
But that does not necessarily mean leaving our gardens unprotected. In addition to defensive measures like fences, traps, or repellants, smart gardeners grow not only crops but also a habitat for wildlife that naturally keeps pests in check.
To fully adopt this approach, you may want to explore the general ideas of biodynamic agriculture and integrated pest management (IPM) and encourage pollinators as well as predators and pests.
It's also important to note that the animals on this list are not panacea, and depending on the species and context, some may even be parasites. However, for an introduction to its potential benefits, here are some examples of critters that can help protect your garden with free, non-toxic pest control:
Ants
Many ants are farmers, who have been growing crops and livestock for millions of years. This won't force them to help us - some species breed plantation pests like aphids for example - but it illustrates just how complex and influential ants can be.
Not only do ants offer indirect benefits, like creating and aerating the soil (which is more important than it sounds), but they can also repel a number of more boring insects.
Research suggests that some ants control crop pests at least as effectively as pesticides; In one study, cashew nuts guarded by weaver ants had 49% higher yields than pesticide-treated trees and produced better quality cashews, allowing farmers a 71% higher net income. Ants have also been found to compete with chemical pesticides to protect crops such as mangoes, cacao, and citrus fruits.
Bats
Summer nights are usually a good time to work in your garden, although mosquitoes can quickly damage the crop in the evening. It is very difficult to concentrate on gardening while defending yourself from hordes of bloodthirsty flies.
Fortunately, some local wildlife will be happy to help. Just one small brown bat, for example, can eat hundreds of mosquito-sized flies in a single night.
Insect-feeding bats may not be a silver bullet, it's still unclear how much they can suppress mosquito populations on their own, but as a 2018 study found, some species (notably the brown bat) are predators.
And that's not all. In addition to mosquitoes, insect-eating bats also eat many moths whose caterpillars directly threaten crops. By eating corncob months alone, for example, bats save US corn growers about $ 1 billion each year. (And, like bees and butterflies, some fruit bats are also important pollinators.) If you want to enjoy the benefits of bats, consider these tips to attract and protect them.
Songbirds
Birds, like most of the animals on this list, cannot be easily classified. While some tend to conflict with farmers, hence the ancient tradition of making scarecrows, for example, avian visitors tend to make our farms and gardens thankless.
Many songbirds feed on pests, such as caterpillars, beetles, slugs, and slugs, especially when they have hungry mouths to feed on during the breeding season.
Many offer tangible benefits to people, such as reducing leafhopper abundance in vineyards by 50%, halving caterpillar damage on apple trees, or saving coffee growers up to $ 310 per hectare by eating beetles, to name. Some.
To attract more songbirds, it helps to know which insect-eaters live nearby and what they are looking for in a habitat. (Talk to local growers, check out field guides, and try out resources like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the US National Audubon Society, or the UK Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.)
Native trees and shrubs can be a big draw, potentially tripling bird diversity in agricultural areas, although some birds are picky about things like tree type, height, foliage, and distance from water.
Birds of prey
Songbirds can eat insects, but what about larger pests like squirrels, rabbits, mice, or moles? Or if songbirds invade your garden instead of protecting it? To fight these heavier bandits, many people simply befriend a different type of bird.
Raptors, also known as raptors, include a variety of predators, such as hawks, hawks, and owls. Many species hunt the same pests our crops crave, sometimes even providing a clear increase in crops and profits.
The key is to identify your parasite, learn about local raptors, and find the best bird for the job. If rabbits eat your cabbage after dark, for example, you may want to attract night owls, but if squirrels catch your tomatoes in broad daylight, the answer may be a hawk or hawk.
Some hijackers are even better suited for certain environments. A family of owls can eat 3,000 rodents in a four-month breeding cycle, but they prefer larger farms with open spaces for hunting.
You can make a nest for them (or more than one, since they are not territorial), or target a different species, such as barred owls, forest dwellers that also roam wooded suburban areas. However, not all hijackers are receptive to the following boxes, so check with a group like the Raptor Resource Project, Raptor Institute, Hungry Owl Project, or the Barn Owl Trust first.
Dragonflies and damselflies
Dragonflies and maidens are experienced aerial hunters who catch prey in the air with a success rate of up to 95%. They are especially popular for feasting on gnats, gnats, and gnats, a service that can make it much easier to spend quality time in your garden or other outdoor spaces during the summer.
These stunt hunters are also known to attack adult moths and butterflies. It can be cold comfort if caterpillars are already eating your crops, but dragonflies and damsels are still part of an IPM approach or 'ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage. through a combination of techniques, "according to the University of California Cooperative Extension.
If you want to attract dragonflies and bridesmaids to your property, having a lake or other water feature is a significant plus.
Frogs, toads, and salamanders
Native amphibians can be a boon to farmers and gardeners. This includes frogs, frogs, and salamanders, most of which are opportunistic insectivores.
As generalist predators, these amphibians can eat some beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, chrysopids, or dragonflies. However, herbivores tend to be easier prey, and since a single frog or frog can eat up to 100 insects per night, any multitude of leaf-eating pests in your garden would be a tempting delight.
Frogs and frogs devour all kinds of beetles, flies, moths, caterpillars, and other insect larvae, as well as slugs and slugs, providing powerful control over garden robbers. Salamanders have similar diets, ranging from herbivores to disease vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks.
The key to attracting amphibians is creating a suitable habitat for them. This includes foliage and other predator cover, sources of moisture and shade, and possibly a small pond (especially for frogs).
You can also include a frog or toad house, which can be as simple as an inverted planter to provide a cool, moist place to hide. And because of the permeable skin of amphibians, they are very sensitive to pesticides and pollutants, so toxic chemicals should be avoided.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs, also known as ladybugs or ladybugs, are some of the most famous and beneficial garden insects. They are loved not only for their iconic appearance, but also for attacking aphids, scale insects, leafhoppers, mites, and other plant pests.
Some ladybugs can behave like pests, damage crops, or compete with native species, but in general, these beetles are valuable allies. Only one ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.
It is possible to buy ladybug kits to leave in your garden, and while this can be a good thing, it is generally better to encourage existing wildlife than to try to create a local population from scratch.
As with most wildlife, your garden should be free of insecticides that can harm beneficial insects, such as ladybugs. You should also have aphids or other insects to eat, although that's probably why you want ladybugs in the first place. And, since many species of ladybugs eat nectar and pollen, as well as insects, you can help grow plants whose pollen is popular with ladybugs.
Spiders
Like bats and snakes, spiders are unfairly classified as scary. They rarely bite people, and even when they do, most bites are minor annoyances. Its venom is intended for much smaller prey, including insects that cause more problems than any arachnid.
House spiders patrol our homes for pests like flies, mosquitoes, fleas, and cockroaches, and outdoor spiders can play even more valuable roles on farms and gardens.
The cute spiders in your neighborhood come in several basic forms, each with its own pest control superpowers. A wide variety of web spiders, for example, set silk traps to capture aerial prey, such as beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and moths. (In North America, a well-known example is an iconic black and yellow garden spider.)
Many crab spiders also sit and wait for their prey, but instead of weaving a web, they often hide in the flowers until an unsuspecting insect appears to be in ambush.
Some wolf spiders also rely on ambush hunting, but these hardy arachnids are best known for roaming in search of prey, which can make them especially useful for farmers and gardeners. This also applies to jumping spiders, impressive hunters armed with excellent vision and vibration detection capabilities.
Some use surprisingly sophisticated hunting tactics, such as taking indirect routes to avoid being seen, which has drawn comparisons to big cats. They can have a significant effect on plantation pests, but, like many spiders, they may not respond well to pesticides.
Enjoy This Video Tutorial AboutAttracting beneficial wildlife by adding homes and habitats to your garden
Source: David Domoney
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Last update on 2025-04-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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