Try Beetle Banks for Organic Pest Management

1 / 8
A native grass beetle bank at Grinnell Heritage Farm, in Iowa.
A native grass beetle bank at Grinnell Heritage Farm, in Iowa.
2 / 8
Beetle banks consist of linear berms of thick grass, the preferred winter cover for predatory ground beetles.
Beetle banks consist of linear berms of thick grass, the preferred winter cover for predatory ground beetles.
3 / 8
While beetle banks are a new concept in North America, farms like this one in Iowa are discovering native grass species such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) that are well suited for the purpose.
While beetle banks are a new concept in North America, farms like this one in Iowa are discovering native grass species such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) that are well suited for the purpose.
4 / 8
At maturity, beetle banks are typically thickly vegetated and resistant to weed encroachment.
At maturity, beetle banks are typically thickly vegetated and resistant to weed encroachment.
5 / 8
Create the mound for your beetle bank by using a single-blade moldboard plow to build a hill running down the center of your field. By reverse plowing in opposite directions, create a mound roughly 4 feet wide by 2 feet high.
Create the mound for your beetle bank by using a single-blade moldboard plow to build a hill running down the center of your field. By reverse plowing in opposite directions, create a mound roughly 4 feet wide by 2 feet high.
6 / 8
Transplant plugs of native grasses into the mound in multiple rows, spacing the grasses roughly 18-24 inches apart.
Transplant plugs of native grasses into the mound in multiple rows, spacing the grasses roughly 18-24 inches apart.
7 / 8
Once grasses are mature, minimize disturbance to the beetle bank so it can provide a stable refuge for beetles and other beneficial insects.
Once grasses are mature, minimize disturbance to the beetle bank so it can provide a stable refuge for beetles and other beneficial insects.
8 / 8
Learn how to eliminate pests while restoring biodiversity with the Xerces Society's guide to organic pest management,
Learn how to eliminate pests while restoring biodiversity with the Xerces Society's guide to organic pest management, "Farming with Native Beneficial Insects."

Using native beneficial insects for pest and weed control serves to reduce or eliminate the need for chemical pesticides while improving the biodiversity of your farm or garden. With the inspiration and instructions in Farming with Native Beneficial Insects (Storey Publishing, 2014) from The Xerces Society, you can learn to identify beneficial insects and implement a host of projects designed to improve habitat for them.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Farming with Native Beneficial Insects.

Providing shelter for beneficial insects can enhance their ability to survive overwintering, and offers them protected areas for egg-laying and pupation. Common types of shelter include the crowns and understories of tall bunch grasses, thick piles of dead brush, decomposing logs, stumps and snags, and similar features.

Beetle Banks

Beetle banks are a habitat enhancement intended to provide shelter for a specific group of beneficial insects: predatory ground beetles. Beetle banks consist of long, elevated earthen berms planted with perennial bunch grasses; occasionally the bunch grasses are interplanted with native wildflowers. These banks provide undisturbed winter cover for ground beetles adjacent to cultivated fields, and are intended to promote rapid movement by beetles back into crop fields when warm weather returns the following year.

  • Published on Nov 24, 2014
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368