Pacifism in Pest Control
(Page 6 of 7)
Both dormant lady bugs and praying mantis egg cases (which
can be strategically and equally located around a garden)
are available by mail. For lady bugs write: L.E.Schnoor, Rough & Ready, California 95975. For
Mantis eggs: Bio Control Co., Route 2, Box 2397,
Auburn, California 95603. To learn how to attract your
OWN beneficial bugs, write: BO-BIOTROL, 54 South Bear
Creek Drive, Merced. California 95340, and ask about
their "insect attractant".
RELATED CONTENT
BIRDS, POULTRY,REPTILES AND SMALL
ANIMALS
Larger "animated insecticides" also earn their keep around
the garden. Geese, ducks, chickens, toads, snakes, birds,
skunks and other of our small feathered, scaled and furry
friends do an incredible job. Beatrice Trum Hunter, in her
book, GARDENING WITHOUT POISONS, quotes The Garden Club of
America Conservation Committee:
A House Wren feeds 500 spiders and caterpillars to its
young during one summer afternoon.
A Swallow devours 1000 leafhoppers in 12 hours.
A pair of Flickers consider 5000 ants a mere snack.
A Baltimore Oriole consumes 17 hairy caterpillars a
minute.
A Brown Thrasher can eat over 6000 insects in a day.
Feeding birds in the wintertime encourages them to stick
around and help out in the bug-laden summer . . . and a
bird house or two doesn't hurt either.
RESISTANT VARIETIES
In the final analysis, it's the weak plant that is first
attacked by insects and our agricultural schools have done
an exceptional job of breeding resistant varieties of
plants.. If you have a particular problem—or expect
one—read the labels on the seed packets until you
find a variety specifically bred to withstand the bug or
disease that bothers your vegetables.
The following list, taken from the book Peacock Manure
& Marigolds, is a quick, general guide to some of the
best resistant vegetable varieties for the northeastern
United States. Your local farm bureau or state experiment
station will tell you if other varieties are preferred in
your area.
Asparagus—the Washington strains (Mary and Martha
both rust-resistant)
Beans (green)—Tendergreen
Beans (pole)—Kentucky (pole)
Kentucky (bush lima)—Fordhook
Beet—Detroit Dark Red
Broccoli—Calabrese
Cabbage—Early Jersey Wakefield
Carrot—Tender sweet, Red-cored Chantenay
(early)
Carrot—Danvers Half, long (midseason)
Carrot—Long Orange (late)
Cauliflower—Snowball
Chinese Cabbage—Pe-tsai
Cucumber—Burpee Hybrid
Eggplant—Black Beauty
Lettuce—Black-seeded Simpson (early loose-leaf),
White Boston, Bibb, Buttercrunch
Onion—Yellow Globe Danvers, Southport White Globe
(for early green onions)
Parsley—Italian plain
Peas—Freezonian, Telephone, Laxtonian
Radish—Cherry Belle, White Icicle
Squash—Golden Straight Neck, Zucchini
Sweet Corn—North Star (early), Wonderful (succession
crops) Swiss ChardLucullus
Tomato—Marglobe; Red Cherry
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