PLEASE NOTE:  All Pages may be frequently updated and improved.

The Wondrous World of the Little Critters.

Insects will always be with us, as friends or as foes. In a greenhouse situation, the trick is to optimize the conditions for the Good Guys so that they can keep the Bad Guys at a low hum. Using ANY toxic pesticides will pretty much guarantee that the Bad Guys will quickly evolve to be resistant and will prevail. And, of course, using toxic pesticides for food production also guarantees that the food will be toxic to eat. Tiny tiny amounts, yes, but all it takes is “parts-per-billion” to disrupt our hormone systems and encourage cancers, allergies etc.

What follows here are images of some of the insect Friends and Foes that I have been dealing with in my greenhouse over many years. And, by the way, kids are fascinated by the miracles that are revealed under an 8 or 10-power magnifying lens. Go forth and get ye one of those!

There are some essential guidelines that must be followed in order to avoid massive take-over by the Bad Guys. Among them are:         1. The best soil ecosystem you can create, airy and rich with organic matter, to encourage multitudes of various worm, beetles, nematodes, larva and microscopic creatures.                     2. “Biological Islands”, consisting of flowering plants, such as nasturtium, borage, dill, thyme, cilantro, violets, rosemary, pineapple sage. These will be the most attractive to both the BG and the GG –  and they are also delicious and make a great topping for salads.

 

 

 

Much more information is available in my books, especially in the first one, SOLVIVA