Pests and predators

I don't think the insect world really noticed the change of clocks, so I can discount the possibility that it is the extra hour of daylight that accounts for the explosion of insect life in my garden.

In a matter of days, unnoticed in a busy working week, tidal waves of little sap-sucking flying/hopping/crawling creatures are working their way across my garden.

The stink bugs on the citrus alas, I did resort to targeted pyrethrum after the bees had gone home. Alas, because it meant that it was an intervention on my part and that despite my best efforts there were likely to have been 'collateral damage' as they say in spinning circles. However after last years debacle where the stink-bugs literally wiped out an entire years growth on the tree (not to mention the loss of the entire crop of grapefruit), I thought it best to intervene early.

I do intentionally plant predator attracting plants, in the hope that nature will intervene on my behalf and keep my produce safe. But I can't help thinking sometimes that it is a bit hit and miss. The predators arrive in numbers just after they are needed, and the damage has been done. Is it possible to go the next step up and try to time natural predator intervention earlier?

But then I had a timely and wonderful revelation in the environs of some bolting Kale. The poor plant was literally covered in aphids sucking the life out of the poor creature. I didn't really mind because I had other plants that I was intending to keep seed from. However on closer inspection it appeared that there was indeed some order in the mayhem.

First I noticed one, then two, then half a dozen and more ladybirds, happily munching their way down the stems. Then as I stared, entranced, I perceived a hovering and buzzing cloud in the afternoon sun. After a while I established that these were in fact parasitic wasps clearly excited as I was over the unfolding drama in the Kale. I don't even begin to know how to identify these tiny predators as they went about their business of balancing nature - but was I glad to see them!. I have read that exponential growth must find natural boundaries, and I was seeing them in action here. I had to go and sit down.

After I had calmed down a bit I wondered. Perhaps I can grow some plants that I leave, nay even encourage, the aphids to grow on in early spring. An unfortunate, sacrifical brassica, grown only to be eaten by pests. Thereby, hopefully, providing an early feast for the ladybirds and wasps and allowing them to increase in timely proportion.

Well that is what I will try from now on. If only I could find something that would eat stinkbugs!

breathlessly excited PS
just when I thought I couldn't take any more excitement, I found I had a thriving population of Assasin Bugs. All I can say is that I am glad I am not small enough to have to worry about them!! They creep steathily around looking for prey, and when they attack they use this long proboscis about the same length as their body to stick into their hapless target which then gets dragged away to some unimaginably horrible end. Look - if I could, I would negotiate with the slaters. I would even go out of my way to set up 'slater resorts' - childcare facilities, spas the best food - if only they would leave my seedlings alone. However that is not natures way in this particular manifestation of its abundance. It is my garden and pests and predators in balance is a good for me.