Beneficial Insects | Curbstone Valley

Mason Bees

by Clare | Feb 9, 2011 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Garden

We’ve hinted about adding honeybees to Curbstone Valley this year, and in fact, we’ve already ordered our bees which are expected to arrive in early April. In the meantime though, we’re not devoid of bees. In addition to our native resident bumble...

Syrphid Flies

by Clare | Nov 1, 2010 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Native Wildlife

Syrphid flies, also known as hover flies, or flower flies, are often overlooked, but these small beneficial insects are worth attracting to any garden. An important component of organic gardening is being aware of predator and prey relationships among the leaves and...

Bombus melanopygus edwardsii

by Clare | Oct 18, 2010 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Garden, Native Wildlife

We’ve mostly focused on installing the orchard and vegetable gardens this year, but our gardens would only be marginally productive without some help from our resident pollinators. Some estimates suggest that bumble bees are believed to be responsible for...

Agapostemon texanus

by Clare | Sep 27, 2010 | Beneficial Insects, Farm Blog, Garden, Native Wildlife

As the gardens and orchard were both newly installed this year, that part of the property has been host to numerous insect species since spring, some good, some bad, and a few ugly in recent months. As we produce everything organically, we don’t spray here,...