Harmony FL » Insects

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Insects

Beneficial insects Beneficial insects are those that are helpful in some way, as predators or pollinators. A number of beneficial insects occur naturally in your garden. Learn to identify and incorporate them in maintaining your garden. Many predator species are the natural enemies of insects we consider as pests. Natural enemies are an important component of Integrated Pest Management programs.
	Lady beetles. Both the adults and larvae prey on aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, and other soft-bodied insect pests. Adults are oval and orange or reddish with black markings.
	Praying mantids. Adults are usually more than 2 inches long and either brown or green in color. They ambush their prey by waiting among the foliage. Their front legs are modified for grasping and holding their prey.
	Lacewings. These common insects can be found on grass, weeds, and shrubs. They are green with copper-colored eyes and are about ¾ inch in length. The larvae feed primarily on aphids.
	Assassin bugs. These insects are generally brown or black, but can also be brightly colored with an elongated head and short, curved beak. They are usually found on foliage where they attack harmful insects, including caterpillars.
	Spiders. All spiders are predators, feeding almost exclusively on a wide variety of insects, paralyzing their prey with venom injected by their bites. Spiders that do not construct webs are especially effective in capturing insects that inhabit the soil surface or plant foliage.
	Ground beetles. Both the adults and larvae are predaceous upon pest insects. Usually found on the ground, they are active at night, feeding on mole crickets and earworms. Adults can be about an inch long, black in color, but sometimes metallic.

Pollinators are drawn to the bright colors of flowers where they feed on nectar. As they feed, they transfer pollen from flower to flower, promoting plant reproduction. Pollinator insects often have furry bodies that allow them to pick up a lot of pollen.
	Bumblebees. Larger than honeybees, these stout, fuzzy bees come in variations of yellow, orange, and black. They are especially good at getting inside tightly closed flowers that have special pollination triggers only bumblebees can trip.
	Giant swallowtail. At 4 to five inches across, this is Florida’s largest butterfly. It is mostly black and yellow with tail-like projections from the hindwings.
	Monarch butterflies. Monarchs use milkweed plants as their larval food, retaining the poisons as adults. Viceroys occur wherever willow trees are available for caterpillar food.
	Long-tailed skipper. These butterflies are dull brown flecked with yellow or white and long, thick tails on their hindwings. One species has iridescent blue-green patches at the bas of the wings. Their larval food includes weedy beans and cultivated beans.
	Sphinx moth. Also known as hawkmoths, they usually flu between dusk and dawn and dart between flowers using their long proboscis to probe nectar from long, floral tubes. Their streamlined bodies taper to a point on the abdomen and have long narrow wings. Their larval foods include tomato and tobacco but you can find them feeding on honeysuckle and jasmine.

Pest Insects Florida’s warm and humid climate creates a breeding ground for many pest insects. Although annoying, they provide food for other insects and animals. Be sure to use the least toxic method of pest management when dealing with them.
	Love bugs. Although not native to Florida, these insects swarm the roadways twice a year, usually in May and September. Both sexes of the small black and red insects sit, crawl, and fly end-to-end during the prolonged mating bout. Least toxic control: Bugs should be washed off cars as soon as possible to prevent paint damage.
	Fire ants. Florida hosts the imported fire ant that came from South America. Their irregular sandy mounds can be up to 3 feet across and 2 feet high. Fire ants are aggressive defenders so treat them with caution! Least toxic control: no control method permanently eliminates fire ants. Non-chemical controls include pouring hot water or a water and soap solution over mounds, but this has limited effect. Chemical controls include baits found in stores.
	Termites. These soft-bodied insects live in colonies that house hundreds to thousands of individuals hidden in tunnels and burrows inside wood or in the soil beneath rotting wood. Termites chew and swallow wood but cannot digest it. Instead, microscopic organisms in their guts break down the wood into basic nutrients the termites can absorb. Least toxic control: above ground or in-ground baits. Baiting is a hit-or-miss process because the termites must find the baits themselves. If problems persist, contact a termite control specialist.
	Cockroaches. Of the many species that are found in Florida, most normally occur outdoors, often in leaf litter or decaying wood. Most roaches are scavenger, feeding on sugary and starchy foods indoors and decaying plant matter outdoors. Least toxic control: boric acid powder or roach tablets.
	Mosquitoes. Florida hosts 69 species of mosquitoes. Hatching from tiny eggs laid in standing water, only the females suck blood in order to produce eggs. They fly most often when the air is moist because hot air dries out their small bodies. Fortunately many other animals eat mosquitoes including birds, spiders, and fish. Least toxic control: Prevention begins with sanitation and elimination of breeding sites. Clean debris from rain gutters, eliminate standing water, and clean out birdbaths and pet dishes often.