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RTEC Treecare

RTEC Treecare

Expert Tree Care in the DC Metro Area | Call 703-573-3029 to talk to a Tree Care Expert.

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Beneficial Insects: Fighting Bad Insects with Good Insects

Resources: Tree Problems

Beneficial Insects are a category of insects that provide valued services such as pollination and pest control. As homeowners are becoming more environmentally conscious, beneficial insect releases are rising in popularity. Just this week we performed Beneficial Insect Releases on 3 properties; however, many homeowners still have never heard of controlling pests with beneficial insects. In this article, we will cover how the beneficial releases work, the benefits of these releases, and why your property is lacking beneficial insects in the first place.

beneficial insects ladybugs 1
An army of ladybugs from one of our beneficial insect releases. They’re ready to eat lace bugs and aphids.

How Does It Work?

Beneficial Insect Releases work by taking advantage of the natural structure of the ecosystem and food chain to control pests. If you are having a problem with a certain type of pest you would release the pest’s predator on your property to get the population of the damaging insect under control.

For example, if you have an aphid infestation our arborists would release ladybugs onto your property. These ladybugs will feed on the aphids and reproduce giving you natural and long-lasting pest control.

Why Aren’t The Good Bugs Already On My Property?

You may be wondering why there aren’t beneficial insects already on your property since there is an abundance of food for them. The short answer is your property’s ecosystem is out of balance.

Having small populations of pests pop up on your property now and then is normal. These small populations are kept in check by the natural predators in your yard’s ecosystem. When the natural predators aren’t present, pest populations get out of control and start damaging your plants. If you are having problems with out of control insects something most likely killed or made the natural predators flee from your property thus knocking your yard’s ecosystem out of balance.

This eradication of natural predators/beneficial insects can be caused by a number of things but it is most commonly seen when clients hire mosquito companies that use harsh chemical sprays. The chemicals these companies use are known to kill every insect that they come in contact with and make the areas sprayed inhabitable for beneficial insects. Once this happens your landscape becomes a breeding ground for pests that are able to rapidly reproduce and feed on your plants without any predators to stop them.

Restoring The Natural Balance:

Beneficial Insect Releases will help restore the natural balance of your yard’s ecosystem. In order to fully restore the natural balance homeowners will need to switch over to organic mosquito control options as well.

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Benefits Of Beneficial Insect Release:

 

Beneficial Insect Release
Plant Health Care Specialist, Kevin Sullivan, Having Fun Releasing Ladybugs on A Client’s Property

A beneficial insect release is a great option for homeowners that are concerned with chemicals being on their property or have delicate ecosystems including fish ponds, creeks, and wildlife habitats.

 

 

  • No chemicals on your property! (Completely safe for children and pets)
  • The release is a fun experience you and your children can participate in
  • Restore the natural balance of your yard’s ecosystem
  • Will not hurt pollinators (with pollinators dying off at large rates it’s important to use pollinator friendly approaches to pest management)
  • Won’t hurt fish in koi ponds
  • Creates a healthier landscape that is more resilient
  • Long lasting. Once established beneficial insects will continue to reproduce and keep your property healthy for many seasons.

 


Interested in a Beneficial Insect Release?

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Or Call 703.573.3029


What Insects Are Beneficial?

There are many beneficial insects, including bees and wasps. The most common beneficial insects we use to control pests are listed below.

LadyBugs:

Fights: lace bugs, aphids, beetle larvae, mites, soft bodied scale, and more.

Beneficial Insect Ladybug
Newly released ladybugs seeking out aphids and eating

Lacewing Larvae

Fights: aphids, lace bugs, mites, caterpillar eggs, leafhoppers, and more.

Beneficial Insects
Sprinkling lacewing eggs on plants

Predatory Mites

Fights: spider mites.

Beneficial Insects 1
Sprinkling predatory mites on boxwoods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn about our other organic programs:

Organic Mosquito & Tick Control

Feeding Trees Naturally With Bio-Stimulants

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Find a Certified Arborist in Your Area!

Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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