insects

  • Coreopsis
    Design

    Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects

    You can use certain plants to lure desirable insects to your garden to help with biocontrol. Many of these workhorse plants are attractive to a wide number of beneficial insects…

  • How-To

    Midsummer 2019 Insect Update

    In the Midwest, gardeners are generally an optimistic lot. If consistent heavy rainfall is the topic of conversation, a typical response is, “At least the weeds are easy to pull!”…

  • Kitchen Gardening

    What’s Bugging You in the Garden?

    Summer is in full swing and that means the biting insects are out, too. If you've always been a favorite mosquito meal, this one’s for you.

  • How-To

    Critters in Your Compost?

    Contrary to popular belief, compost doesn’t “just happen.” Although, from the outside, you might see nothing more than a pile of rotting leaves and grass clippings, inside that pile a…

  • Article

    New Way to Fight Tomato Hornworms

    Have tomato hornworms ever caused havoc in your vegetable garden? Now’s your chance to get revenge in a most delicious and satisfying way.

  • Article

    How to Attract Good Bugs to Your Garden

    It happens every spring. First a few aphids appear on the cole crops. I barely notice. A week later the aphids have doubled. I start to get concerned. After another…

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Meet the Garden Good Guys

    With all the talk of wildlife gardening nowadays, most of the attention goes to birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects. But an equally compelling case can be made for enticing reptiles, amphibians,…

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Insect Pest Warning System for Vegetable Gardeners

    Wouldn't it be nice to know when to expect an invasion of insect pests to your vegetable garden? Then The Big Bug Hunt needs you!

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Keeping Insect Pests Out of the Vegetable Garden

    About 90 percent of the insects you see in your garden won’t cause plants any significant harm. Here are organic tips for handling the 10 percent that do.

  • Article

    Eating Bugs for Fun

    Even if you've been vegetable gardening for a just a short time, you've probably tasted a few bugs without knowing it. Now’s your chance to sample beetle larvae, crickets and…