RAJSHAHI, April 5, 2022 (BSS) - Zoology experts said beneficial insects can minimize damage caused by aphids, caterpillars, flea beetles and other pests attack on plants, urging taking extensive measures to conserve these useful bugs to maintain biodiversity and ecological balance.
 
They also stressed protecting the beneficial insects while eliminating harmful bugs from the gardens and orchards, saying that the beneficial insects needs to be enlisted for pest control at natural way.

The experts also emphasised growing the right flowers to attract top 10 beneficial insects to the farming fields and gardens to reduce pests' attacks.
 
Prof Nuzhat Ara of Zoology department at Rajshahi University (RU) said all insects are not harmful for the crops but the chemical pesticides or insecticides are more or less dangerous for both human health and other beneficial insects.

She, however, said the destructive as well as the injurious insects can easily be controlled through promoting eco- friendly methods of using organic fertilizer and indigenous insecticides instead of chemical ones.
 
She said one of the best ways to control pest attacks in the fields to attract beneficial insects, stressing planting pollen and nectar plants, and providing protection for these beneficial insects to further increase the ecological diversity.

She said importance should be given on conservation of eco-friendly insects and successful promotion of biological pest management systems in the agro-fields.
 
"So, we have to devise ways and means of controlling the harmful pest in a hygienic way instead of direct poisoning," she added.
 
Mentioning that insects are very important to maintain ecological balance, Prof Nuzhat Ara said terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems would not work without insects.
 
The farmers should be imparted practical training on how to identify the insects whether it is beneficial or not, she observed.
 
Prof Bidhan Chandra Das, another senior-most teacher of the same department, said priority should be given to some major issues like collection, preservation and identification of economically important insect fauna in Bangladesh for significant development of agriculture, forestry, human health, livestock, wildlife and environment.
 
He termed the insect conservation scenario in Bangladesh as frustrating which is detrimental to the whole ecosystem.
 
Prof Das said the modern and eco-friendly dissemination policies should be developed so that the rural people are inspired to conserve one of the most important groups of natural resources in the country.
 
He said, "The familiar round, orange spotted ladybug is just one of more than 400 species of lady beetles found in the country. Most adult ladybug and its larvae eat aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Adults are attracted to flower's nectar and pollen, which they must eat before they can reproduce".
 
Prof Redwanur Rahman of the Institute of Environmental Sciences in RU said bio-pest management systems should be promoted among the growers to protect the beneficial insects for maintaining a sound environment that is very important for a sound ecosystem.