Page 11 - ALG Issue 2 2022

Bugs, Bees and Broccoli
National Allotments Week 8–14 August 2022
Why Bugs Matter – Bugs are our allotment friends, the image (opposite) shows a few of the things they do.
Our allotments benefit directly from a number of these activities namely:
Pollination – Without pollinators we would have no soft or tree fruit, no peas, beans, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers etc. And that is without mentioning the lack of seeds for carrots, parsnips and many more. Pollinators include bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and beetles.
Nutrient recycling – Detritivores
break down dead and rotten plant matter turning it into fresh nutrition to replenish our soils. This is especially obvious in our compost heaps where millipedes, compost worms, slugs, snails and many others are involved in breaking down the material we add, to produce compost for the following year.
Soil production – Aided by the burrowing invertebrates that create air pockets and improve soil drainage, here we see the work of earthworms, centipedes, and even ants.
Weed control – Perhaps most obvious from the Cinnabar moth, which lays its eggs, and then the caterpillars consume ragwort, or if that is not around, they target groundsel.
Pest control – Where an array of important insects come to the fore. The ground beetles and centipedes that predominantly eat slugs and snails. The social wasps that target caterpillars, aphids and other grubs. Ladybirds, lacewings and hoverfly larvae that target aphids. And the solitary wasps that target caterpillars, some laying eggs inside a living host.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE
THE RIGHT BUGS
In a garden there are many changes we can make to support beneficial bugs. Many of these can also be used on allotments:
• A log pile for shelter and breeding of ground beetles. Did you
know that nearly 2,000 sorts of invertebrates require deadwood and use it in many different ways? Pile up some logs in the sun or shade, and see which differing insects arrive.
• A stone or rubble pile for centipedes and ground beetles can shelter from the sun and retain moisture.
• A compost heap for the detritivores and good compost.
• Planting of herbs and allowing
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some to flower is ideal for pollinators. If possible, a small patch of wildflowers is also great for pollinators. Even stinging nettles have a role to play, being the main food plant for caterpillars for all but one of our common garden butterflies.
Make some solitary bee homes
on a south-facing fence or shed
to give a home to solitary bees – without doubt the best pollinators for fruit trees. Simple to make, create nest cavities using: cut Bamboo canes, drilled logs, paper straws, dead hollow reed stems. Stack inside a frame or fastened in a bundle. Sited in full sun, fasten
a metre off the ground, and keep clear of plant and obstructions.
Leave things a bit untidy over winter so there are places for bugs to hibernate away from the cold. Consider adding overwinter homes for ladybirds and lacewings. An
old louvred door against a fence is very effective for this. Or, make a bug hotel. An easy way is to use a framework of reclaimed pallets... 1) Choose a spot that combines sun and shade. 2) Prepare an even ground. 3) Build it up by stacking pallets alternately. 4) Fill it up with materials. 5) Add a waterproof roof with tiles, felt or turf.
We should also put away the pesticides and herbicides as using them is part of a vicious repetitive circle of forever needing more as, by using them, we are knocking out many of the beneficial bugs.
Article Credit: Bugllife
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Allotment and Leisure Gardener 11