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

by Malcolm Beck, J. Howard Garrett, Gwen Gage (Illustrator)

Honeybees in the flowers, fire ants in the yard, roaches in the kitchen--the good, the bad, and the ugly bugs are all over Texas! And they're here in the Texas Bug Book, your complete guide for identifying and organically controlling all of the most common Texas insects. Drawing on years of practical experience and research, organic gardening experts Malcolm Beck and Howard Garrett give detailed instructions on how to identify, understand the life cycle of, and control or protect Texas insects, mites, snails, slugs, nematodes, and other critters. They also include striking color photos and black-and-white drawings to help you identify each bug. What sets the Texas Bug Book apart from other insect guides is the authors' organic approach to pest control. Beck and Garrett highlight the many useful roles that bugs play in nature and offer proven organic remedies for infestations of pest insects. Most importantly, they explain how to create a balanced, healthy environment in which infestations are much less likely to occur.

Genres: Gardening, Reference, Nature, Nonfiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

C. Malcolm Beck was an expert in soil, organic gardening, and sustainable agriculture.

Beck began his career as a family farmer in the 1950s, raising and selling organic produce near San Antonio, Texas. Later, he opened an naturla compost supply company Garden-Ville. He also wrote about sustainable horticulture and agriculture, through his books, Garden-Ville Method: Lessons in Nature, The Secret Life of Compost, Texas Organic Gardening, Texas Bug Book, and in newspapers and online forums.

Reviews

[DeDe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable resource for anyone in Texas with a garden or little boys or, in my case, both! My 2nd grader runs to this book with every bug he finds, and I use it identify pest or beneficial insects in the garden. We love it!

[Cassandra Carico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous resource for those interested in identifying and being aware of the natural world around them, especially as it interacts with garden or farm.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice resource on backyard creepy crawlies!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will definitely be purchasing this book. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because 5 stars is apparently "amazing" and I don't know how to consider a book about bugs "amazing". :) Fabulous book, though. It talked me out of killing some wasps. I had a can of wasp spray in my hand and everything. If you live in Texas and do anything outdoors, I think this is a good book to have.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really wonderful book with great stories and pictures but the one bug I needed to identify didn't look anything like the picture. I had to take it to the farmer's market to find out what it was.

[Poppy Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book because of the wonderful pictures and descriptions. A great resource for finding out if you should squash the bug or let it be. I find my son reading it often not for the gardening but for his joy of entomology! It is a terrific resource for any gardener.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource. This is one to own if you live in Texas. You will be able to identify those creepy crawlies you will encounter!

[Lalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an invaluable resource if you live and garden in Texas. Know your bugs, both enemies and friends.

[Patrycja Babb · Rating 5 out of 5]

brings my inner child back :)

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative.