Beneficial Insects and Pollinators
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Pesticide applicators should visit the Bulletins Live! Two website to determine if they are located within a pesticide-restricted or limited area, known as a pesticide use limitation area (PULA). These restrictions protect endangered and threatened species from adverse effects. This publication provides users a step-by-step guide on how to navigate this website and access the information needed for applications and recordkeeping.
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Blueberries are becoming the state fruit of Georgia with considerable acreage planted. Blueberries have many pest challenges and a current invasive pest challenge from spotted wing drosophilia (SWD). While efforts are underway to release new biocontrol agents for SWD, we still know little about the natural enemies in blueberry systems. Here we provide an overview of common natural enemies and conservation strategies for preserving beneficial species in blueberry systems. The work was funded by the NRCS to provide new information on natural enemies and pollinators and help with design and implementation of habitat management concepts.
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Mosquitoes can transmit a wide variety of pathogens and significantly reduce our quality of life with their aggressive biting behavior. On the other end of the spectrum, pollinators are a critical part of our natural environment, contributing significantly to food production and ecological diversity. Honey bees, along with other pollinators, are susceptible to pesticides, and significant bee kills have occurred because of mistimed or misguided pesticide applications. When conducted properly, an integrated pest management approach does not pose a significant risk to honey bee colonies.
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With over 6,000 species world-wide and 812 in the United States and Canada, hover flies (Diptera: Syrphidae), also known as flower flies or syrphid flies, are a highly diverse, common, and charismatic family of insects which provide a broad diversity of ecosystem services including pollination, biological control, and decomposition that benefit humans. Despite this, these insects are largely unnoticed, misidentified, or are misunderstood by many members of the public largely due to their tendency to mimic bees and wasps. The goal of this publication is to alleviate this “hover fly blindness” by informing readers about the importance of these magnificent insects and providing a brief guide to common species found in the southeastern United States, specifically the state of Georgia.
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This circular is for property owners who have unwanted honey bee swarms on their lands or colonies nesting inside walls. It explains these natural processes and gives options for dealing with them.
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Autor adicional: Michael Ulyshen, entomólogo investigador, Servicio Forestal de EE. UU. Esta guía muestra las abejas silvestres más comunes de las
plantaciones de arándanos en el sur de Georgia. El material
presentado aquí es un resumen visual del muestreo de 2021
y 2022 en campos comerciales de arándanos de los condados
productores más importantes: Bacon, Pierce y Ware. En total, se
encontraron más de 70 especies de abejas. La contribución de las abejas silvestres a la polinización de los arándanos es cada vez más reconocida. La identificación adecuada de estos insectos en el campo es una parte fundamental de los esfuerzos de conservación. (English: This guide shows common wild bees found in commercial
blueberry fields in southern Georgia, based on sampling in the
2021–2022 seasons in three major producing counties: Bacon,
Pierce, and Ware. In total, more than 70 bee species were found. The contribution of wild bees to blueberry pollination has is becoming widely recognized. Proper identification of these insects in the field is critical part of conservation efforts.)|
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Wildflowers not only beautify the landscape but also provide food and shelter for myriad insects, birds, and mammals. Georgia is rich in endemic (belonging in a particular area or environment) species which grow in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal dunes and pine sandhills to savannas, meadows, and forests. Although many species are primarily seen in undisturbed natural habitats, others have adapted to human-created landscapes, such as roadsides and farms, and are frequently seen on road banks and edge habitats. This publication is intended as a visual guide to common herbaceous plants encountered mainly in sunny areas in South Georgia. Although by no means inclusive or extensive, the list contains plants that are easy to recognize and valuable for wildlife.
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Additional author: Michael Ulyshen, Research Entomologist, U.S. Forest Service. This visual guide helps people identify common wild bees encountered in blueberry systems. The contribution of wild bees to blueberry pollination has is becoming widely recognized. Proper identification of these insects in the field is critical part of conservation efforts.
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A classic example of a North American species that undergoes a great migration is the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus Linnaeus. Monarchs travel on air currents and cross more than 3000 miles in winter to reach their overwintering sites. Monarch butterfly populations are showing a declining trend. As the overwintering habitat in Mexico is destroyed by logging or deforestation activities, they have fewer and fewer places to overwinter. Other factors contributing to their decline such as diseases, pesticide use, and loss of larval hosts (i.e., milkweed) are on the rise. The larvae need milkweed to develop, and the adults need nectar for migration and survival day-to-day, so more nectar sources and milkweed plants are needed to sustain their migration patterns. More flowering plants and milkweeds can help conserve the migrating monarchs, especially when planted along farm-reserved lands and urban gardens.
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