GEOBUG: using beneficial organisms to combat plant pests.

Geocoris punctipes is a species of beneficial organism that the experts at Natural Enemies sent over for me to try. That’s right, I’m such a fan of beneficials that they sent us these to try out on an experimental basis just bc they knew I would think they are cool.. and they are!

Using beneficials is a tradition that dates back to before the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution. The first recorded use was in the year 600 AD when some citrus farmers from China built little bamboo bridges to let predatory ants climb from tree to tree in the elimination of leaf munching pests (thank you for being good record keepers). Date farmers also traversed the Arabian Sea from Yemen to North Africa to collect predatory ants to take home and establish colonies of their own around the same time. These are just the first instances we have written accounts of but one can assure that individuals with animus inclinations have been observing and utilizing the natural world around them since the cognitive revolution and emergence of Homo habilis.

• These things are huge.

use code ARTHURIUM to save at Natural Enemies

Experimental

• Also called “big eyed bugs”.

• Native to the southeastern US(just like me).

• Austroriparian: fun science word for the geographically region of the southeastern US from east Texas to Virginia, down to Florida (minus Miami). From latin for “south land of the river” referring to the area of the Mississippi Embayment and Delta.

• Controls various harmful pests: scale, thrips, white fly, and spider mites.