It's Time to Have the Talk About the Birds and the Bees....and Other Insects!

A little birdscaping will go a long way in controlling pests in your yard!

There are lots of great reasons to make your yard more welcoming to birds, but pest control is one we may not think of first. Most backyard birds eat a combination of seeds, berries and insects. So by attracting more birds to your yard you will help control troublesome insect populations!

The four elements to creating a backyard bird habitat are food, water, shelter, and nesting sites. To fight the battle with pests start by providing native plants for nesting sites and cover and add bird houses to encourage the birds to stick around all summer long. Most of our backyard birds build their nests in trees and shrubs. Some build in tree cavities. If you don't have many mature trees in your yard add bird houses to encourage the cavity nesters.

Evergreen trees and shrubs provide cover, winter shelter, and summer nesting sites.They will also provide sap, buds and seeds for birds to eat. Grasses and legumes provide cover for ground nesting birds. Some will provide seeds as well. Trees that produce nuts will not only provide a valued source of fat and protein to a wide range of birds but they will also provide good nesting sites. Nectar producing plants will provide food for hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as many insects. Plant a variety of fruiting plants to provide berries throughout the year.

Below is a list of common backyard birds and the insects they eat.

• Bats: mosquitoes!!!
• Bluebirds: grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, larvae, moths
• Cardinals: beetles, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, stinkbugs, snails
• Chickadees: aphids, whitefly, scale, caterpillars, ants, earwigs
• Grosbeaks: larvae, caterpillars, beetles
• Nuthatches: tree and shrub insects such as borers, caterpillars, ants and earwigs, stinkbugs
• Oriole: caterpillars, larvae, beetles, grasshoppers
• Sparrows: beetles, caterpillars, cutworms, mosquitoes
• Swallows/Martins: moths, beetles, grasshoppers, mosquitoes
• Titmice: aphids, leafhoppers, caterpillars, beetles, stinkbugs
• Warblers: caterpillars, aphids, whitefly, mosquitoes
• Woodpeckers: larvae, beetles, weevils, borers

Next time you see or hear a bird in your yard, give 'em the ol' thumbs up!...your way of saying thanks for helping you keep your garden healthy and looking good!