Are all pests pests?

[Lizard Man]

Okay, so some weeds/pests are very damaging and us allotmenteers need to wage war upon them: rabbits and couch grass for example. But are they all really pests?

I get asparagus beetles every season, but they only seem to be interested in the open ferns (which are past harvesting). Presumably they can devastate the ferns if they are in plague levels, but do they cause other problems? I just admire them rather than kill them (as I have read elsewhere someone does).

And last year I had masses of caterpillars on my sprouts that seemed to enjoy the leaves thoroughly, and yet I had masses of beautiful tasting sprouts (and some sprout tops late in the season too).

So are all pests pests?

[Lizard Man]

[Robert_Brenchley]

In my own opinion, no. People get quite hysterical sometimes about the least thing eating their veg, but this is actually quite normal! As far as I'm concerned they only become pests when the numbers become sufficient to seriously damage the plant, and this is often an indication of a weak plant; killing the pests won't solve the problem in that case. Take blackfly on broad beans, for instance. My father had an allotment, and he always insisted on picking off the growing points because this was where the aphids congregated. When I started on my plot I didn't see much point on that, so I used detergent as an instecticide. Then I discovered I'd missed a few, and the blackfly weren't doing much harm at all. Since then I've just left them. I don't think it affects the crop at all.

[Lizard Man]

I think you're right about people's hysteria. I have always loved pretty much all wildlife, and so long as they don't become too great in number then I'm all for sharing my veggies with them!

[Merry Tiller]

Weird :-\

[bunnycat]

I'm of the opinion that nature should be left to sort herself out wherever possible. I have greenfly on my roses, but the sparrows and ladybirds are dealing with those for me, at the moment. I actively encourage wildlife into my tiny plot and try to live WITH it, rather than fighting against it.


Wherever there's a plus to the negative, I'm happy to work with nature :)

[Amazin]

Can I just say that my garden is fast becoming overrun with green/blackfly. Not that I don't have ladybirds - I've counted hundreds of 'em -  but everywhere I look the b*ggers are too busy doing the horizontal cha-cha to eat anything!
Anyone else seen this? Should I start a new TV show:
Nonentity's Luuuurve Garden...

;D

[redimp]

I try to encoruage wildlife - I have a relativley untended area - I will cut once a year and treat as meadow, I have sunk a pond in contravention of the tenancy agreement and I am grwoing marigolds, nasturitians etc as companion plants and am growing green manure selected on the basis that it encourages the right sort of bumble bee.  If that doesn't work, next year I am going to spray everything with roundup, derris etc - NOT!  :)

[PREMTAL]

Hi Lizard Man,
                      All life has purpose and a function to fulfill.

Our problem is that because we do not always understand what a particular lifeform's function and purpose is, we make the judgement that there is none and give it the label "PEST".

PS:- Couch Grass is used in herbal medicine to treat Cystitis, Urethritis, Prostatitis and in combination with other herbs Rheumatism.

                                                          PREMTAL ;)

[Lily]

Perhaps the answer is to grow one for the allotment, one for the pests and one for you.  That way everyone gets something.  Lets live with nature and not against it. 

Last year our sprout leaves were covered in white fly and got at by the pigeons, but it did nothing to the taste of the crop, they were the best sprouts ever tasted.  This year, however, we have covered the brassicas with netting in the hope that we get a better crop.

[Justy]

I feel the same - last year grew cabbages and they were a right motley looking bunch with outer leavers covered in holes (looked a bit like lace!)  however the inner hearts were perfect and gorgeous.  I am quite happy to let the beasties have a munch if they leave me the lions share!