bRUCE sMITH wrote:
Hi Smitty
The way to attract preditors is to have adequate prey for them. They
will only come and stay if there is enough food available. This is often
seen for instance by people who import ladybugs to clean up an aphid
infestation only to have them quickly move to elsewhere once the aphids
have been mopped up. THEY aren't going to stay on and starve!
Carnivores will never however be as thick on the ground as plant eaters.
In fact you may well have as many as your garden will actually support.
In any case you probably have far more than you are aware of, most of
these creatures tend to go about their business quite discretely.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
I'm delighted to hear this, as we do have them in the summer.
> Another beetle I would love to attract is the ground beetle. This is a
> natural predator too. I have some but not many. Anyone have any Idea how
> I could go about increasing the numbers of these?
One day as we were sitting in the back yard having some dinner we were
invaded by what I assume were ground beetles. They were all over in the
grass and climbing up the legs of our chairs and into our dinner plates. I
had never seen them before, and haven't seen them since. I assume they are
lurking out there all along though. I was amazed!
Kris
Kris Johnson, gardening organically in
Northwest Ohio
Those who hope in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
> What do fireflies do to slugs? We don't have fireflies, wish we did!
> Linda in Idaho, Zone 5
The firefly, or lightening bug, larva eat slugs for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.
> They are natural predators of the slugs and snails here in my zone. Only
> the larva or nymph stage though.
> I don't think oncwe they get their wings they eat them. Anyone know?
After pupating and becoming adults they spend most of their time flashing to
find a mate. The males are the ones we see flying around while the females
are either on the ground or maybe on a branch. The females signal and the
males answer and often, different species, a female will flash a signal for
one species and when that male comes in for a landing she will have dinner
doing this until a male of her species comes around. The adults don't spend
a whole lot of time eating, they seem more interested in sex than anything
much else.
Kimm
Dear Kas
kasmiller wrote:
....del.....
The adults don't spend
> a whole lot of time eating, they seem more interested in sex than anything
> much else.
Sure. So whats your point?
:-)
Kevin
