Beetle bank
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In agriculture and horticulture, a beetle bank is a form of biological pest control. It is a strip, preferably raised, planted with grasses (bunch grasses) and/or perennial plants, within a crop field or a garden, that fosters and provides habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and other fauna that prey on pests.[1][2]
Usage
[edit]Beetle banks are typically made up from plants such as sunflowers, Vicia faba, Centaurea cyanus, coriander, borage, Muhlenbergia, Stipa, and buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.)[3][4]. Beetle banks are used to reduce or replace the use of insecticides[5] by encouraging ground beetles and other predators, such as birds and beneficial rodents, which then prey on crop pests. For example, insects such as Chrysoperla carnea and the Ichneumon fly can prey on pests.[6] Ground beetles may prey on crop pests such as aphids and cucumber beetle larvae.[7]
The concept was developed by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in collaboration with the University of Southampton. Government initiatives in the United Kingdom as well as the United States have offered subsidies for farmers to construct beetle banks in order to provide integrated pest control, prevent soil erosion, and create nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife.[8][9] They are relatively inexpensive to set up and maintain compared with active pest management such as pesticides.[10]
Other important benefits can be providing habitat for pollinators and endangered species. If using local native plants, endemic and indigenous flora and fauna restoration ecology is supported.
History of the term
[edit]According to a March 2005 draft entry for the Oxford English Dictionary, the term first came into use in the early 1990s, with published examples including the August 22, 1992 issue of the New Scientist and an October 12, 1994 reference in The Guardian society section:
- 'Beetle banks', a recent initiative by the Game Conservancy Trust, would also help encourage ground-nesting birds while creating cover for aphid-eating bugs with more pay-off in savings on aphicides.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Beetle Banks for Beneficial Insects | Xerces Society". xerces.org. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Melzer, Marvin; Spykman, Olivia; Bellingrath-Kimura, Sonoko (2025-02-01). "Beetle bank-positioning on sloped farmland to promote water retention and biodiversity in farm management information systems for agri-environmental schemes". Biological Conservation. 302 110999. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110999. ISSN 0006-3207.
- ↑ "Beetle banks". Farm Wildlife. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ "Beetle banks - Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust". www.gwct.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Kevin McCullen (14 June 2010). "Connell organic farmer using 'beetle banks'". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ↑ Felix Wäckers, Paul van Rijn and Jan Bruin (2005). Plant-Provided Food for Carnivorous Insects - a protective mutualism and its applications. Cambridge University Press, UK, 2005. ISBN 978-0-521-81941-1.
- ↑ "Integrating Beetle Habitat into Pacific Northwest Farming Systems". agsci.oregonstate.edu. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ "AHW3: Beetle banks (updated for SFI26)". GOV.UK. 2026-06-17. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Gill, Lauren (2021-07-29). "Beetle Bank". Hudson Valley Farm Hub (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2026-08-01.
- ↑ Thomas, Susan R; Noordhuis, Rienk; Holland, John M; Goulson, Dave (December 2002). "Botanical diversity of beetle banks". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 93 (1–3): 403–412. doi:10.1016/S0167-8809(01)00342-5.
External links
[edit]- Beetle bank, from the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust website
- Create and maintain beetle banks, from the DEFRA website, 2021