Sometimes, after going to great lengths to protect our garden plants from rodents and diseases we seem to overlook the little guys who can properly invade and destroy anything closely related to wood on their path.
If you are a newbie farmer or you just started growing your own garden, there is a chance that you might observe holes on your plants and/or woods around your garden. Contrary to what you might think, they might have been caused by an insect invasion rather than plant diseases.
Here is a list of insects to get rid of that may pose danger to woods in your garden:
- The Carpenter Ants
These types of ants pose a great danger to garden wood. Carpenter ants are typical insect architects. They create their nest by burrowing through wet wood. They create different connecting tunnels for a proper structure to effectively house the colony. They do not eat the wood they burrow. Carpenter ants feed on other dead Insects as their primary source of protein.
- Termites
Unlike the carpenter ants, termites eat through wood. It is easy to mistake a termite attack for water damage or wood rot. Two types of termite feed on two different types of wood. The dry wood termites feed on hardwood while the subterranean termites feed on softwood. It is quite hard to notice termite invasion at its early stage but they are not exactly smooth criminals. They leave behind colored waste products, discarded wings, and mud tubs.
- Wood Wasps
This is a very unique wasp species. They go by different names; some people call them Siricidae and others call them horntails. This is because of the horn-like shape of their abdomen. Wood wasps dig through softwood, plant and trees to lay their eggs. Plants and trees serve as suitable breeding grounds. They secret fungus to digest the trees for their new offspring.
- Moths
Like wood wasps, moths use plants and trees as breeding grounds for their offspring. Also, just like wood wasps, their bodies have distinct features which enable them the ability to drill through wood. They only feed on damaged plants and trees.
- Bark Beetle
As the name implies, they feed on the bark of trees. They pose a great danger to trees and forestry in general. Invasion on a large scale can completely destroy any tree or plant. They also use trees as breeding grounds.
- Wood Worm
Do not be surprised to know that woodworms are not exactly worms but they are larvae of beetles that feed off of wood after they hatch from their eggs. These newborn infants do only one thing before they eventually mature into beetles: they eat. In other words, woodworms pose a great danger to trees and wooden structures in your garden.
- Carpenter Bees
The carpenter bees build their nest in dead trees and plants. They are similar to other regular bees but can be identified by their shiny hairless abdomen. They use trees as their breeding ground as well. It is easy to know when a carpenter bee is present in trees as they leave behind sawdust and make noise as they make their way through the substance of the tree.
These destructive insects could be a lot to handle, especially if you’re not savvy in the field. In any case, do not panic. Simply place a call to a professional pest control agency close to you. You can find pest control near me here.
