Many people are aware that an outbreak of certain harmful insects can stunt a garden’s growth in its tracks; however, there is a misconception that insects are no help to someone with a green thumb. In fact, insects with names like assassin bugs, bald-faced hornets, praying mantises and soldier beetles can help manage pest populations in a garden.

While complete prevention of insect pests in a garden is simply unrealistic, the positives that come with beneficial bugs should not be understated.

Beneficial bugs are one of the best-kept secrets in the gardening industry. These insects are likely to remain in your garden if there is a food supply for them and if you mix the variety of plants to bloom over as many months of the year as possible. In addition, gardeners can purchase several types of beneficial bugs at their local home improvement stores and often times from nurseries.

Other insects that serve as beneficial bugs include bumble bees, centipedes, dragonflies, damselflies, green lacewings, ground beetles, ladybugs, spiders, tachinid flies and yellow jackets.

As beautiful as a ladybug is, many people probably don’t realize they will eliminate aphids and tree lice from a garden. A praying mantis will eat just about any bad bug, from flies to crickets. By attracting beneficial bugs, a person’s garden has that much more of a chance to last all summer long.

Speaking of which, congratulations to the Bald Faced Hornet for winning the July Bug Off!

In the meantime, be safe, stay dry, and hope you all have a buzzing day! The Mousecar is riding around with his windows down, looking for more friends on Facebook (Truly Nolen Mousecar) and tweeps on Twitter (@TrulyNolen) – interested?

When most people hear the words “Killer Bees”, they think of a classic Saturday Night Live skit involving John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd or a 1980’s World Wrestling Federation Tag Team.

Unfortunately, when sifting through the daily news, we find more and more serious bee attacks, and it’s no coincidence that Africanized honey bees, or so‑called killer bees, have posed a serious public threat in the United States since being discovered in Texas in October 1990. Their appearance ended a 34 year migration from Brazil when they were accidentally released from research hives.

Known for their extremely aggressive behavior ‑‑ there are documented cases of fatal attacks on human beings and animals – Africanized honey bees have begun to appear throughout the United States over the last two decades. There have been sightings from California and Arizona to Texas and Florida, and unlike Bigfoot, we know they exist. In fact, they are known to inhabit warmer states with tropical weather patterns and swarm and move their nests all 12 months, which makes prevention a year-round concern.

As anyone who has seen them in action can tell you, there’s nothing cute about Africanized bees. In fact, it’s almost impossible to tell an Africanized bee apart from the regular honey bees you’re accustomed to seeing in our yards. What distinguishes killer bees is their aggressiveness, i.e. their touchiness. The slightest vibration, odor or movement near a colony is interpreted as an attack and they come after you with the relentlessness of kamikazes, chasing you for much greater distances than a swarm of angry parents at a school board zoning boundary rally.

When killer bees decide to take up residence in a rain gutter or appliance duct or in the eave of a roof, homeowners and their family members can be subjected to the serious threat of injury if and when the bees attack. My advice – at the first site of any bee or hive, do not run – slowly walk into the house and call the local fire department. They can assist in bee removal.

In terms of prevention, there is new technology that plays on the way insects communicate through chemicals called pheromones. Researchers are now learning this chemical language. Through an attractant, the bees can be drawn to a manmade hive. Once they enter the hive, it can be sealed and the bees can be eliminated with soapy water. Your local pest control professional may offer services to help seal the hives.

Have you had a memorable experience with Bees? Do you like the musical group A Taste of Honey? Send me your memories…

Barry the Bug Guy