Assessment of established beetle banks for pest control in small scale market gardens
Farmer: Fianna Dirks
Farm: FoodShare, It's Giving Farm
Region: Central
Publish Date: October 24, 2024
Article Type: Research Project
Research Priorities: Pollinator Service
To explore the use of beetle banks at smaller scales, Fianna established a beetle bank in the market garden at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute urban farm.
In a Nutshell
-
There was the same type of ground beetles in the beetle banks and cropped beds
-
There were more ground beetles in beetle banks than cropped areas
-
Beetle banks provided habitat for numerous other beneficial insects in addition to ground beetles
-
Beetle banks provide opportunities for niche enterprises such as cut flowers and mushroom production