Pest control is necessary for any gardener or farmer, especially in a greenhouse where the limited space facilitates the quick spread of unwanted insects. While many people rely on pesticides to keep their plants safe, other, less harmful pest control methods exist.
Beneficial insects in greenhouse production are one such method; here are five you can use in your greenhouse.
How Are Insects Beneficial?
Some insects are beneficial for your greenhouse because they prey on garden pests. Ladybugs, for example, eat aphids and other plant-eating insects that can cause significant damage to your crops.
Other beneficial insects feed on nectar and pollen, which allows them to coexist with the plants without causing any harm.
5 Beneficial Insects for Greenhouse Production
While there are many insects that you can use to control the pests in your greenhouse, here are five beneficial insects you can purchase and release into your greenhouse.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are beneficial insects in greenhouse production because they eat aphids and other harmful garden pests, thereby protecting your plants. These lady beetles will also help prevent the spread of some diseases that can bother plants.
Praying Mantis
The praying mantis is another beneficial insect you can release into your greenhouse. These predators will eat a variety of garden pests, including caterpillars, flies, and spiders.
The best thing about praying mantes is that they are generalists and eat pretty much any bug they see in the greenhouse.
Lacewing
The lacewing is a beneficial insect that preys on aphids, thrips, and other small insects. It can also eat some moulds and mildews. Lacewings are among the most well-known predators of aphids.
They also control the spread of mites, mealybugs, whiteflies, leafhoppers, and other soft-bodied insects.
Assassin Bugs
These bugs are very efficient at killing different kinds of pests, such as boll weevils and leafhoppers. Some common types of assassin bugs include cone-nosed bugs and wheel bugs.
If you decide to opt for these bugs in your greenhouse, make sure to be careful since they bite.
Hoverfly Larvae
The hoverfly larvae are another beneficial insect you can use in your greenhouse. These larvae feed on various pests, including aphids, whiteflies, and thrips.
They also help control the populations of other pests that can be troublesome in a greenhouse setting.
While beneficial insects are not a silver bullet for pest control, they are essential to an overall Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. Using these bugs in your greenhouse can help keep your plants healthy and safe from harmful pests.
Which Plants Attract These Insects?
Some insects need the pollen and nectar found in certain plants to reproduce. Thus, it's important to have some plants in your greenhouse.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Goldenrod (Solidago)
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia)
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Lace flower (Ammi majus)
Meadowsweet (Spirea alba)
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum)
Develop an Efficient Greenhouse Production System
Besides using beneficial insects in greenhouse production, you can rely on Orisha as your dedicated greenhouse production ally. By developing such a system, you can save time, increase yield, minimize your heating costs, and lessen problems in the greenhouse.
With Orisha's climate and irrigation management, you can rest easy knowing that your greenhouse's needs are automated and taken care of by a team of experts.