Hello all,
I have just recently started a zero-till garden and while I am very familiar with many of the bugs that we can see in Alberta I have found a few specimens in the following picture that I have been unable to identify the worm I know is a friendly fo but the two beetles have me stumped. I am hoping that some of you may know what these are and if they are good or bad before I get too much further into my planting. Thank you all in advance and happy planting!
Good or Bad bugs
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I'm not sure of the beetle species. Where do you go to identify insects and bugs?
Identifying garden critters is a fun and important activity. It helps us develop a greater appreciation for the soil food web and the importance of all the organisms in our garden ecosystem.
In general, it's not accurate for us to characterize bugs as good or bad. It's typically the imbalance, often due to something we're doing or not doing, that makes bugs appear problematic. The sow bug, for example, plays an important role in shredding and breaking down woody material but too many, and they start to gnaw on our radishes and spinach.
Identifying garden critters is a fun and important activity. It helps us develop a greater appreciation for the soil food web and the importance of all the organisms in our garden ecosystem.
In general, it's not accurate for us to characterize bugs as good or bad. It's typically the imbalance, often due to something we're doing or not doing, that makes bugs appear problematic. The sow bug, for example, plays an important role in shredding and breaking down woody material but too many, and they start to gnaw on our radishes and spinach.