identifying larvae and other grubs

nemo

i am looking for a book so i can identify all the grubs etc that i find in my soil i kill all leather jacket grubs but i am afraid to kill some of the other grubs as they might be beneficial could you recommend a book that will identify all the creatures in Irish soil so i can kill the bad fellas and protect the beneficial ones
regards
nemo

Liparis · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:

Just put them in a dish and the birds can have them.
Bill.

nemo · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:39 pm Post subject:

i wouldn't like to feed lady bug and beetle larvae to the birds when they mature they will be very usefull i just need to be able to identify beneficial bugs

Liparis · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:34 pm Post subject:

I don't think there's many beneficial grubs live in the soil. Beetle and ladybird live amongst te plants and amongst stones. I don't know if I can find my pictures of he ladybird larvae but I'll have a look. Im a hopeless filer. Normally the ladybird larvae are on the plants already consuming greenfly etc.
Bill.

Liparis · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:16 pm Post subject:

In the meantime, try this page. http://www.planetnatural.com/site/beneficial-insects.html
It's American but we have Ladybirds, Lacewings and pirate bugs. By the way, I've been bit by pirate bugs, quite a sharp pain, but I think they are only checking to see I'm edible.
Some information here on harmful bugs http://www.garden.ie/gardeningtroubles.aspx?id=640
Bill.

nemo · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:48 pm Post subject:

thanks for the link very usefull.i was plagued by leather jackets i improved drainage and tings planted into the soil rarely get cut at soil surface level and when they do usually find the leather jacket near the roots of the levelled plant
regards nemo