Bugs hanging around my veggie garden - bad or OK?

12 years ago

I haven't seen any really NOTICEABLE damage to my veggie garden, but I'm not sure if these bugs are bad. They mostly just seem to be hanging out, resting on the big squash and bean leaves.

One looks like a yellow ladybug. I googled some pics of mexican bean beetles and bean leaf beetles and it doesn't look like those - the mexican bean beetles area little too plump and the spots are too small, and the bean leaf beetles' spots are too big. It literally looks like a yellow ladybug. The only pest that I think it looks even remotely similar to is a spotted cucumber beetle... maybe. I only saw one, and I would hate to kill a ladybug :(

Another bug I saw was... I think a fly? It's predominantly green, but iridescent. Its head looks like a fly's, but the back end of its body is pointed, almost like dragonfly or some kind of wasp (but not that long). These too also seem to just be hanging out resting on leaves. I googled "Green iridescent fly" and got pictures of the right bug, but no ID. I'm not sure what these are - if they're truly just flies, then I guess they're in my yard because of our dogs and I won't worry about them. But there are a TON of them hanging around in our garden.

The last thing I saw was this little reddish round bug. Tiny, about the size of a small sesame seed. It kind of looked like an aphid (same body shape), but the legs of an aphid looked too long for what I saw. But all the pics I can find of aphids are mega-zoomed-in (for detail), so I'm not sure if they'll look a little different to the naked eye. I also only saw ONE, and aphids seem to hang out in big groups.

And then there are ants everywhere, but they're not really bothering anything except my sickly little planted-too-early okra =P

So I'm not really sure what to do. I don't care if the flies are there if they're not hurting my plants, I don't want to kill any ladybugs, and if it IS a ladybug and the red thing IS an aphid, then he's probably there chowing down on them for me anyways...

Should I do anything or just kind of wait and see? I literally haven't noticed ANY bugs around my garden (except the ants and an occasional fly) until today. The only other things that could be attracting/introducing bugs are pet waste (although they USUALLY do their business well away from the veggie garden), and that we just mulched with straw a week ago.

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Comments (11)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Any chance of pictures?
You know, you can attach those pictures you googled right here and we can ID the critter for you.
Phildeez
12 years ago
Generally bugs are OK in your garden. Especially if you do not see damage. A healthy garden has a population of beneficial and harmful bugs.
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
TL; DR But I did read this:

Should I do anything or just kind of wait and see?

Impossible to tell with info provided.

Dan
natal
12 years ago
Reminds me of the conversation I overheard the other day at Lowe's. A customer was telling an employee that something was eating her pepper plants and what should she use. Without a beat he suggested Sevin. I just rolled my eyes.
digdirt2
12 years ago
Most "bugs" play a beneficial role in the garden just as others have said. So when in doubt, doing nothing is the best choice.

If you start seeing damage then you need to first ID the culprit causing the damage before doing anything and then treat that pest specifically.

A customer was telling an employee that something was eating her pepper plants and what should she use. Without a beat he suggested Sevin. I just rolled my eyes.

Amen. Roll your eyes and then hit them both over the head with the bottle of Sevin. :)

Dave
shebear
12 years ago
I'm from D/FW area so I know what's out there now. The yellow ladybug is a cucumber beetle. Kill it and all it's cousins. They love anything from the cucumber family and spread diseases.

The fly might be a good bug. I need to see the picture to know for sure.

I'm unsure about the red bug. Did it have a red head? Could it have been an egg? Squash bugs lay red eggs. I've also seen tons of Harlequin bugs out now so it could be a stink bug nymph.
caroliniannjer
12 years ago
I've posted a link to a picture of a cucumber beetle
That sounds like one of the culprits

The best thing to do is to find your local cooperative extension website
They often have a page that lists pictures of common veggie garden perps

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:51689}}
greenthumbintraining
12 years ago
Another vote for killing the green ladybug ( cucumber beetle). I search my plants for them almost daily, they have wrecked havoc on my Basil! (yes, Basil)
bejay9_10
12 years ago
The green iridescent bug - with a pointed back - may be a lacewing. It's larvae - the ant lion eats ants, and it should be encouraged.

Planting things that attract "good" bugs is a plus. Right now, I have broccoli that is flowering (bolting) and is covered with bees. In turn, newly planted things like peppers, tomatoes are flowering and hopefully, the bees will pollinate these.

Also, coriander/cilantro is also flowering - and attracting wasps that are also beneficial.

Many birds will eat ants - encourage also. We also have lizards that eat their share as well - thank heaven, because this area has lots and lots of ants - which in and of themselves aren't bad - but their cows - the aphids need to be controlled - they will kill young plants by sucking juices.

Bejay
claudiasherwood_gmail_com
12 years ago
I have some type of beetle or bug (I never saw them, but I once saw a teeny green caterpillar)which is eating holes in my leafy green veggies. I also see some yellow discoloration in parts of the leaves.

Any idea what this might be and how I might discourage it naturally? I can send photos.
Belgianpup
12 years ago
Claudia, try some Safer Garden Dust with Bt. [bacillus thuringiensis (var. kurstaki)], it OMRI-certified for organic gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Safer Garden Dust w/Bt.

Bugs hanging around my veggie garden - bad or OK?

Comments (11)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Phildeez

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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)

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Belgianpup

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