Good Bugs Make for Good Fields

Travis Prochaska Crop Protection Specialist with North Dakota State University Extension says that good insects have a benefit to the farming industry as a whole. He says that insects like ladybugs feed on aphids in the field. Prohaska says it is important to have something in bloom during the warm months. He says it is important to have something in bloom during the warm months as a food source. And they need water sources as well. Prochaska also says ladybugs and pollinators are usually top of mind when talking about good bugs, but there are others.

“Garden spiders, are they impactful in an ag setting? And the answer is yes, they can be very impactful in the ag setting too. So typically, we probably think of a spider, you know, the eve of a house, maybe in a garden or something like that. But they're just as impactful in the field. So and you know, I've just named a couple beneficial insects that are common, you know, we have some parasitic wasp in the area. Sure, there's some of them that come into service parasitoids that can help control to.”

Procheska says that Scouting is the best way to know how many insects and what kinds of insects are in a field.

He also says there are some examples of insects that are both a pest and a beneficial bug. The larvae from butterflies are difficult later, but once a butterfly is mature, it turns into a pollinating insect.