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i am so worried about all the bugs living in my garden...i did find 2 worms that were cutting my beans and corn...seems it has stopped now...see pictures..i found a new bug..good or bad?
angel - I'm not good at identifying bugs, so perhaps someone else will answer your question.
I will tell you that I've been gardening for 68 years and have never needed to spray for pests. The first year of a new garden will certainly bring in bugs, both good and bad, but if you build up your soil over the years, your garden will yield successfully without the need to spray.
We all encounter these pests. A well attended garden will survive, so walk the garden once a day, & remove the worm, grasshopper, & spray with the water hose the leaves. This will knock down any incects you don't see, hiding under the leaves. The grasshoppers are the hardest to catch.
Every area has it's own pests and every year is different. I'm convinced that Tx. has all the bugs possible. Lol
What you describe on your beans and corn sounds like cutworms. I've actually caught a couple just about to cut into my bean seedlings. Honey and I just smash them. No gloves just a quick pinch between your thumb and forefinger. My suggestion would be to find out what bugs are considered pests in your area and go from there. I found out through my extension agency, I don't know about Canada. The worst problem with bugs IMO is that they can spread diseases.
How you choose to deal with the insects is your choice but you need to find out what to look for first. Certain bugs are more of a problem in one area then another.
Maybe a "collar" around some seedlings will protect them from cutworms. I've read that cutting the bottom out olf a cup (plastic or paper?) and setting it around the seedling will keep cutworms from being able to reach the plant.
I don't know, it's just something that I read.
Hand-weeding will also get your nose down into the plants, so that you'll see early signs of bugs, or other pests.
