Questions tagged [insects]

Six-legged arthropods

Arguably the most successful group of animals to have existed, and they will significantly out number all other groups of animal in your garden. Most insects are benign, although some (eg. aphids, and hornworm larvae) can be pests. Similarly, many are encouraged as predators to eat those that are considered pests (e.g. Ladybugs and lacewings).

Insects typically have six legs, although larvae are an obvious exception. Similarly, most are capable of flight although not necessarily in all stages of growth.

Use this tag for questions about insects in the garden or landscape. For an unknown insect, also add the tag and include a photo. For questions about controlling insects, add the tag.

297 questions
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Are these primary or secondary verbena pests?

I posted before about the powdery mildew affecting my verbena plants. I have now observed that some leaves have died, and small (1 mm or less) insects are present. They're mobile so not eggs, white and not obviously winged so they may be a larval…
Graham Chiu
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Identification of garden insect with a red-edged green body and white spots

Please can someone Identify this New Zealand Bug found on my lawn today, thank you.
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Impact of mealworms in a garden

Many homesteading / simple living / sustainability blogs suggest farming mealworms as a protein source for chickens. Mealworms aren't part of my garden ecosystem and I am interested in knowing what the likely impact would be if a reasonable number…
going
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Black and yellow insect on lavender

I'm trying to identify the following bug on a lavender plant. Theres about a half dozen of them and they appear to have six legs and a long abdomen. They're black with yellow or orange sides.
Seamus
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caterpillar identification and eradication

Can you help me identify this type of caterpillar and what is the solution to eradicate them? i keep removing them from the tree but after a few days I find them again...
RockScience
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Why is no-one using my insect hotel?

Last year I bought an insect hotel at the local supermarket (see in the photo below on the right hand side). It was a cheap and simple one, but soon a lot of all different kind of bees came and occupied almost all places, laying eggs and covering…
elzell
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Why do I have a lot of dead flies on my Euphorbia Tirucalli?

Last winter as I was taking what I assume is a Euphorbia Tirucalli (unsure) inside, I noticed a large amount of flies clinging to many of the sticks. They were difficult to dislodge and I realized they were all dead. Have I incorrectly identified my…
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Which insect is this?

I saw a strange white insect on my lemon plant. Have not seen it earlier. Any idea what it could be? It also has a greenish tinge on its head.
Muddassar
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Spring Cleanup: How to preserve beneficial insects

I want to give beneficial insects the best possible opportunity to survive the winter in my yard. For the past several years, I've been leaving most of my perennials stand over winter and clean them up in the spring. I'd like to clean the dead plant…
michelle
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Can you identify this grub?

Past couple of years I've been getting skunks digging in the yard. Not a lot but I've had to deal with sprayed pets which is no fun. I applied Milky Spore past 2 falls but I was doing a little digging and ran across this guy. Any idea what type of…
OrganicLawnDIY
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How to prevent midges proliferation on indoor plants?

I live at about 45° in the North hemisphere, and during winter I use to put my plants indoor. After some time, I start to notice a proliferation of midges, apparently from the soil. Is there a way to prevent this proliferation (possibly without the…
Starnuto di topo
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Is it a ladybird?

I found this near my tomato plants. Is it a ladybird?
Muddassar
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How to move a spider?

There is a small spider in one of the rooms in my apartment (I should probably post a picture of it). There is another room with a lot of potted plans which attract small flies. I would like to move the spider there in order to both give it a feast…
Vorac
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What are these bugs on my milkweed?

I’ve noticed lately that there are piles of these insects on my milkweed plant. Are they harmful to it? Or could they be harmful to other plants in my garden?
dpw
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Can I make an insect hotel from sticks that blew down in a windstorm?

Will taking a lot of dead twigs blown down from a windstorm, and tossing them in a pile create the cover required for an insect hotel?
black thumb
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