09/11/2023
So as promised here is what I found in my garden yesterday! In all my years of gardening, I have never seen this action in person! My garden has been a little ignored recently and I knew I had to duck out and grab all the tomatoes that were shiny red looking at me everyday. The GOOD news with this, is that a little tomato hornworm had a chance to hang out for a bit and eat some foliage. Had I seen him during my daily checkups I probably would have pulled him off and moved on with business, but because I wasn’t out there tending to my garden, nature had a chance to TAKE over and control the problem for me! A female braconid wasp had a chance to deposit her eggs INSIDE the host insect. The larvae had a chance to pupate through the host and kill the hornworm as they emerge into cocoons. These larval parasitoids eventually kill their hosts, depending on the type. There are braconids that kill beetles, flies, and of course moths and caterpillars. 🐛 If you garden with me, you know I’m a huge fan of IPM (Integrated Pest Management). I love creating a ecosystem that works together and encourage patience and observation whenever possible. 🐛 If you would to like to attract this little machine to your garden, be sure to plant lots of flowers and herbs with small florets like alyssum, chamomile, and basil. 🐛 Anyone else use IPM to control pests in your garden? 👇🏻
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