Beneficial Ground Beetles: How To Find Ground Beetle Eggs And Larvae

By Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer Most of us have encountered ground beetles in gardens. You turn over a rock or garden debris and a shiny black beetle goes racing for cover. You may even notice a sudden foul scent as it rushes off, secreting an oil in its wake to deter predators. While the sudden discovery of a scurrying ground beetle may be a little unnerving, it is actually a valuable ally to the gardener. Read on to learn more about the ground beetle life cycle. Beneficial Ground Beetles Ground beetles are members of the Carabid family. While there are about 2,000 different species of ground beetles in North America, most of the ones we encounter in the garden are nocturnal. These beneficial ground beetles help reduce the need for chemical pest control by eating common garden pests like: Caterpillars (and other insect larvae) Ants Aphids Maggots Wireworms Slugs A

Read this article