Texas Bug Book: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It is important to know what bugs are beneficial and which are harmful. This book does just that! Not only does this book include many great photos, it also provides wonderful recommendations on how to manage the ones that are pests. As for the only spiders one should be weary of in North America: the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow, this book has great photos for proper identification. Furthermore, valuable information is included on the nature of these two spiders and has great suggestions on what to do should you happen to encounter one.

I never knew bugs could abe so interesting. The authors combine factual information on insects with entertaining stories of buggy encounters. This book reaches my kids on a level they can understand (they are 8 - 12 years old), yet provides me with plenty of good factual information that helps with gardening. The kids were thrilled to discover that the funny things they had seen "growing" on the fence were actually lacewing eggs. We are eagerly anticipaing their hatching. I also appreciated the recipes for home-made, natural insecticides.

When my two and four year olds starting bringing me bugs from outside, I decided it was time to determine if they were harmful. This book had excellent photographs that helped me identify the bugs. I used it as an educational tool for my two little bug hunters. I am happy to report we have had no dangerous bugs gathered.

I love this book. It has been really helpful in identifying several types of bugs that live in my yard. I use it on an almost weekly basis to help identify this bug or that. I think it's a must have for any Texas gardener.

The Texas Bug Book is a glossary of the most common pests and beneficials around the garden. For each critter, they explain its life cycle, favorite foods, benefits and detriments. There is plenty of information on how to attract the beneficials and how to discourage the pests organically. Most of these bugs are not limited to Texas, so this book would benefit any organic gardener.