Bug Walk

     Several weeks ago, I visited a nearby farm for what was called a 'Bug Walk'.  A Penn State Agricultural Extention agent had organized a time to walk through several vegetable fields accompanied by an entymologist.  As an added bonus, I was able to take my 8-year-old son with me.  He has been showing a normal boylike interest in bugs this summer. 

     I will admit that I have never been fond of insects.  When I was young, I remember the mosquito swarms of the upper midwest, and the fly populations on the dairy and hog farms.  To someone used to "real" bugs like scorpions, my small ticks, ants, and spiders might not seem like a big deal, but I still did not like them. 

      Armed with our nets and our expert, the group of 25 people began searching.  After several hours, the group had discovered a cabbage worm, several colorado potato beetles, a lacewing, several brown beetles, and a cucumber beetle.  However, the most remarkable thing to me was the lack of insect life that we found.  That is, it was surprising unitl I discovered the type and frequency of sprays that they were using on their vegetables. 

      Back at my farm, as I thought more about the insect life that I encounter every day, I am more amazed than ever at the diversity of insect life on this farm.  Each week, I see new insects with a dazzling variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.  Many of these insects are familiar and destructive to the plants that I am growing.  However, many insects are beneficial and harsh chemical sprays would destroy them along with the pests.  For example, I have thousands of ladybugs all around the farm.  I also have an insect called a wheel bug.  Its main task in life is sitting on a leaf and waiting for another bug to get close enough to eat.  I have seen wheel bugs up to 2 inches long and they look vicious.  I guess they are if you happen to be the wrong kind of insect.  Bees are also among the beneficial insects that would be harmed by chemicals.  The farm has many different kinds of bees and each of them seems to prefer pollen from different types of flowers. 

     As an organic farmer, I have chosen to manage insect pests without sprays that would eliminate the good with the bad.  This challenge will require years of observation and trial and error.  There is a chance that I will not be successful with certain crops.  However, the attempt seems valuable to me.  I might even learn to appreciate insects more.  They certainly are fascinating.