Bug Vacuum Pros and Cons

Having received tales of gallant gardeners ridding cucurbits of the dreaded cucumber beetle with the use of a handheld vacuum cleaner, I decided to give a bug vac a try. As there are a number of options for the bug vacuum cleaners, and because I have not tried any other than the one that I purchased, I will not compare it with any others. However, I do have some things to consider when using a bug vacuum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to looking at product reviews, it may be helpful to find a vacuum that has a long thin attachment. Mine did not. So, in order to make sure that my bug vac could catch the little cucumber beetles, I used the outer case of a marker and pushed it into the vacuum attachment, taping the sides to keep the pressure. With this done, the vacuum exhibited enough pressure to easily suck up a cucumber beetle or other critter that would bother my plants.

 

So here are some of the pros and cons of a bug vac:

Pros:

-Able to pick up bugs without having to squish them.

-Able to surprise cucumber beetles to keep them from flying off.

-Good with spotted cucumber beetles, which tend to be higher on the plants

-Able to suck beetles while flying

-Able to isolate a large number of beetles from the plants in a relatively short amount of time (generally a time saver)

Cons:

-Having to keep and maintain another piece of equipment

-Having to leave the vacuum outside to have the beetles cook and remembering to bring the bug vac back inside

-Not as effective as nets with airborne beetles

-Not very effective with striped cucumber beetles, which tend to drop from the plant and burrow into the ground

-Limited amount of time that the vacuum will run before the battery requires recharging.

 

 

 

While there were a number of negative things about the bug vac that I used, I believe that the concept, in general is sound. Bug vacs save growers time in combating cucumber beetles and, while they do not completely eliminate the pressures from cucumber beetles, consistently utilizing bug vacs greatly reduces the damage to both the plants and the fruit.

Girl’s Garden throughout the Season

This was the second year that I grew Milkweed in the Girl’s Garden. It really took off. I had no idea that it is propagated by not only seeds, but also by root cuttings. It began to grow all over the garden!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The milkweed was one of the best plants I have grown in a while to attract pollinators. I had bees and butterflies that I normally would not see visiting specifically because of the milkweed. In the garden we also grew sweet potatoes, potatoes, some sunflowers and the beginnings of a fig tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I loved the milkweed, it does take over. I will likely be pulling out a lot of the plants this next spring as they come up. Otherwise, I felt that the girl’s garden this year was a success.

Raising more than just Mustard Greens

I love supporting local wildlife with flowering plants. I also love seeing some insects on my plants. It lets me know that I the plants are healthy enough for other animals to consume. However, there comes a time when enough is enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That time came for me this last winter when my Mustard plants became the breeding ground for several dozen uninhibited harlequin bugs (not pictured). By the time I was able to get to the plot, the bugs had begun multiplying. In order to deter the adults to set up camp, I came back as soon as I could – at night – and chopped down all of the plants. This left a lot of residue, but given the proliferation of bugs and the potential for the Mustard to spread seed, it was wise for me to remove the plants as quickly as possible.

Spiders and Others

Here are some other spiders and insects that I saw throughout the season. I hope that you enjoy.

 

Katydid Nymph

 

Wild Bees in Suisun Valley, California

Plume Moth

Achemon Sphinx moth

Wolf Spider

Adult Katydid on Manzanita

A couple Mantid photos

No season is ever complete without me taking time to enjoy the mantids. Here are a few pictures of some mantids that I saw throughout the season.