Speaking of houses, behold the humble bughouse...

Pictured below is an asylum, but not in the way you might think. We mean asylum as in shelter or sanctuary, a refuge for a soul who’s lost their way. Yes, we agree the place lacks curb appeal and could use a little sprucing up. The walls and windows are a bit grimy from years of “farmer hands,” and the exterior structure certainly could use a power wash, but this cozy little abode is a home away from home for many who’ve wandered into the wrong room, as it were. And while some of the bugs and insects that have spent a night or two in this “house” may have experienced more luxurious places in the past, they did, indeed, get their spritz of water and a roof over their heads before their discharge to a more appropriate and fruitful location.

So, just who checks into our bughouse most often? The #1 returning customer is the ladybug or, as she is officially known in agricultural circles, the ladybeetle.

The vast majority of ladybeetles in N. America are beneficials, and for gardeners and farmers, this designation means they help control annoying plant pests like aphids effectively and economically. Even the slightly more orange Asian varieties that find their way into a lot of homes are beneficial when outside. If you find a ladybug in your house, don’t kill her or burn her house down, put her outside!

Other invaders you might find wandering your floors and walls are the delicate and lovely green lacewing and the green lacewing’s less common cousin, the brown lacewing.

Sometimes you might even find them in their larval form (without wings) looking like a bug you’d want to squash, but don’t. Just scoop him up and put him outside. 

Speaking of bugs you might be tempted to squash—or squish, name your pleasure, this guy might be lurking around your house, particularly in the cellar.  He’s ugly and comes in a variety of colours, but he’s one of the good guys.  Meet the rove beetle.

A word of caution, though. Don’t confuse the rove beetle with the earwig.  Here is a top-and-bottom photo to illustrate the difference.  The easiest way to tell them apart is the earwig has those large pincers (yes, to pinch you with) on its back end while the rove beetle does not. While the rove beetle won’t bite or pinch you, they can be extremely irritating if one brushes up or is crushed against your skin, so don’t use your bare hands if you find one.  Earwigs, by the way, are a bit of a mixed bag garden-wise, so don’t bother putting them outside.

Earwig on the top and rove beetle on the bottom.

Almost done!  This is probably more info on bugs you ever needed or wanted, but just two more.  The black ground beetle is a good guy, so if you find him inside, kick him out too. He’s not the sort of beetle that eats your roses, and he’ll do you some yeoman’s work out there eating ants, aphids, caterpillars, maggots, slugs, and worms.

And lastly—and many of you already know this but just in case you don’t: save the daddies! There are two types of daddy long legs and the upshot is don’t kill either one. Scoop them up and put them outside—gently, though, because they…break…easily.

Source: Journal of Zoological Studies

In southwestern Nova Scotia, there are a few places that carry a variety of beneficial species for your garden, including Lavender Hill Nursery, Spencer’s Garden Centre, and Ouest Ville Perennials. If you don’t have any luck at those places, Halifax Seed maintains a weekly order of various beneficials, and they’ll be happy to help you out.

Back in the house, bug boxes like ours seem to be scarce these days. We’ve scoured Google trying every combination to find something comparable and have come up empty. If you find a lidded ventilated container (about 2.75” high, 2.5” long, and 1.75” deep), let us know by using our Contact Us feature. And now it’s lights out! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!