| If you’re worried about aphids, keep an eye out for some big help from tiny wasps, such as the one pictured above! This parasitoid wasp is laying her eggs inside aphids. As the wasp larvae grow, it kills the aphid before metamorphosing into an adult wasp that is ready to hunt more aphids.
Parasitoid wasps are just one of many excellent beneficial insects that help control other insects that we might be less pleased to find in our gardens. Read on to learn why pesticides should never be your first management choice and how you can keep your trees and shrubs healthy without them — plus the fascinating way in which ants help plants grow. |
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Learn how to recognize beneficial insects, and address many issues without pesticides.
Learn more |
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Birds aren’t the only animals that help move seeds to new places. Julie Michaelson shares how many plants actually have a secret seed-carrying partnership with ants!
Learn more |
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Plant for pollinators and they will come! You can find free plant lists for every region in the country in our Pollinator Conservation Resource Center.
Then, head on over to our Gift Center to find your Xerces pollinator habitat yard sign, available in English and Spanish.
Xerces Gift Center |
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We’re hiring! All applications must be submitted through our online application portal.
- Conservation Data and Technology Specialist, Remote
- Pesticide Program Specialist, Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management, Eastern US
- Agricultural Biodiversity Specialist – Habitat and Bee Better Certified Planner, Southern California
- Conservation Entomologist, NRCS Western Regional Partner Biologist, Portland, OR
- Pollinator Conservation Specialist, NRCS Partner Biologist, Urban Farms and Small-Scale Operations, Memphis, TN
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| The Xerces Society is a donor-supported nonprofit organization that protects our world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
Your tax-deductible donation will help grow and sustain that essential work. |
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| Donation and membership questions:
membership
855-232-6639 (option 2) |
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| Photo credits from top, left: Mark Yokoyama CC-BY, Katja Schulz, CC-BY 2.0, Katja Schulz, CC-BY 2.0, and Suzanne Granahan.
Copyright © 2024 The Xerces Society |
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North Carolina Small Farm Association 