Ohio Beetle Bank - Ask Extension
Hi, I just moved to the state and was interested in establishing a beetle bank for native beetles on my property. Is there any current literature on t...
Knowledgebase
Ohio Beetle Bank #866455
Asked April 30, 2024, 12:07 PM EDT
Hi, I just moved to the state and was interested in establishing a beetle bank for native beetles on my property. Is there any current literature on this topic, or do you have any recommendations for putting something like this together?
Montgomery County Ohio
Expert Response
What a great idea! There are, of course, many different ways to create habitat for beetles. Here are several references that should help you pick out the plants and other features that would be helpful in creating an Ohio beetle bank. The exact plants and "hardscapes" for your bank will depend on your property and your preferences. Some beetles like decaying wood, some prefer stone piles, all like native plants to feed on and hunt in. Open compost bins and piles of leaves may also be useful.
Xerces has a fact sheet on building beetle banks.
20-040.pdf (xerces.org)
They also have lists of native plants by ecoregion that may be helpful to you.
Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists | Xerces Society
Another source for Ohio natives:
Native Plants Lists | Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ohiodnr.gov)
A local chapter of the worldwide Wild Ones organization may be able to provide a lot of help:
Home - Dayton Area Wild Ones
And lots of on-line resources, including lists of native plant nurseries can be found here:
Ohio Native Plant Month
Your imagination is the limit on building habitat--sounds like a really fun project. If you have more specifics on your property (urban with HOA, rural, somewhere in between) and the type of habitat already present on your property (wooded, pond, meadow, etc) I might be able to come up with other suggestions.
Xerces has a fact sheet on building beetle banks.
20-040.pdf (xerces.org)
They also have lists of native plants by ecoregion that may be helpful to you.
Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists | Xerces Society
Another source for Ohio natives:
Native Plants Lists | Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ohiodnr.gov)
A local chapter of the worldwide Wild Ones organization may be able to provide a lot of help:
Home - Dayton Area Wild Ones
And lots of on-line resources, including lists of native plant nurseries can be found here:
Ohio Native Plant Month
Your imagination is the limit on building habitat--sounds like a really fun project. If you have more specifics on your property (urban with HOA, rural, somewhere in between) and the type of habitat already present on your property (wooded, pond, meadow, etc) I might be able to come up with other suggestions.
Hi!
The property is a 2.5 acre lot in the middle of dense suburbs, but is bordered by thicket on all sides with a couple dense patches of trees and a few spots that hold rainwater for a few weeks but are dry most of the year. I’m starting the fight against honeysuckle right now but will likely use some of the material you already included to plan out what I’ll replace the invasive brush.
About half of the open area is covered in moss/wild grass and “weeds” (not because I hate them, but because I don’t know what they are) and half is some kind of lawn grass that I’m slowly letting be overtaken by the other types of ground cover.
It sounds as if you are basically interested in building habitat rather than managing a beetle bank for agricultural purposes. Biodiversity is good no matter how you manage it; removing invasives such as honeysuckle is an excellent start.
Beetles are an extremely diverse group of insects. Their dietary habits range from scavenger, to carnivorous, with the larval stage often being different from the adult stage. Most of the larva are either scavengers or herbivorous. Many of them nest in or actually eat decaying wood, so I would recommend including some wood in your bank. (It sounds as if you are not in an area with a Homeowner's Association checking up on your yard.) Some beetles are pests (eg Asian Longhorn Beetle), some are well-known beneficials (eg Lady Beetles).
If you are planning on attracting beetles for their benefits to a garden--pollination, pest control, debris break-down--you will want to keep your beetle habitat close to the garden. Many of the predaceous beetles hunt close to home.
Decomposing plant matter such as spoiled hay, rotting logs, and compost piles are excellent beetle habitat and can be included in the beetle bank. The plants you use will attract a wide variety of insects, some of which will be prey for the beetles. While you are attracting beetles, you will also be providing habitat for many other insects, including native bees. As I said, increasing biodiversity is a good thing.
Waiting a growing season to see what is already in place is a good idea. Keep notes also about the amount of shade, moisture, and general soil type. This will help you chose the right plants for the right place. Your "vernal pool" areas sound like natural spots for a rain garden or mini-wetland area. (Some beetles are aquatic, too!)
Sounds like a fun project, as long as you have plenty of energy.
Below are some additional resources about building beetle banks. I will admit I had never heard the term before you asked this question, but it fits right in with my gardening philosophy. Now I may have to build one too!
http://oregonipm.ippc.orst.edu/Agroecology/NEW_BEETLE_BANK_1.pdf
https://emswcd.org/building-beetle-banks/
https://beebettercertified.org/habitat-highlight-beetle-banks/
Beetles are an extremely diverse group of insects. Their dietary habits range from scavenger, to carnivorous, with the larval stage often being different from the adult stage. Most of the larva are either scavengers or herbivorous. Many of them nest in or actually eat decaying wood, so I would recommend including some wood in your bank. (It sounds as if you are not in an area with a Homeowner's Association checking up on your yard.) Some beetles are pests (eg Asian Longhorn Beetle), some are well-known beneficials (eg Lady Beetles).
If you are planning on attracting beetles for their benefits to a garden--pollination, pest control, debris break-down--you will want to keep your beetle habitat close to the garden. Many of the predaceous beetles hunt close to home.
Decomposing plant matter such as spoiled hay, rotting logs, and compost piles are excellent beetle habitat and can be included in the beetle bank. The plants you use will attract a wide variety of insects, some of which will be prey for the beetles. While you are attracting beetles, you will also be providing habitat for many other insects, including native bees. As I said, increasing biodiversity is a good thing.
Waiting a growing season to see what is already in place is a good idea. Keep notes also about the amount of shade, moisture, and general soil type. This will help you chose the right plants for the right place. Your "vernal pool" areas sound like natural spots for a rain garden or mini-wetland area. (Some beetles are aquatic, too!)
Sounds like a fun project, as long as you have plenty of energy.
Below are some additional resources about building beetle banks. I will admit I had never heard the term before you asked this question, but it fits right in with my gardening philosophy. Now I may have to build one too!
http://oregonipm.ippc.orst.edu/Agroecology/NEW_BEETLE_BANK_1.pdf
https://emswcd.org/building-beetle-banks/
https://beebettercertified.org/habitat-highlight-beetle-banks/
Hello again!
There will be gardens (potentially pretty large) on the property at some point, but I’d like to work on adding a bit more for the native organisms before setting aside areas for garden beds. I’ll also need to save money/ work with the ground a lot to break up large patches of clay-rich soil, so this would be an awesome project to take on in the meantime while also planning out where the beds would be in relation to these banks.
Anyways; thank you so much for your help and resources! If there’s any way to donate/give positive feedback to show appreciation, please let me know.
Have a good spring!
Good luck with your project, Donald. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you...every spring I bless my sandy loam soil. I believe there is a survey at the bottom of the signature line on the form via which I replied if you want to give feedback.
Lynn
