There are elongated, yellowish brown beetles on my flowers. Are they harming the plants?

The insects are probably soldier beetles. Soldier beetles are elongated, soft-bodied, and about one-half-inch long. Colors vary from yellow to red with brown or black wings or trim. Soldier beetles resemble lightning bugs but do not have light-producing organs. The beetles are commonly seen on late summer-flowering plants in August and September.

Soldier beetles eat caterpillars, aphids and other soft-bodied insects and can be important predators. They also feed on the pollen and nectar of flowers. However, they do not damage plants. Since soldier beetles are beneficial and harmless, no effort should be made to control them in the garden.

What is my hardiness zone location?

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides the United States, Canada and Mexico into 11 zones based on the average annual minimum temperature. Zone 1 is the coldest area where minimum temperatures can go down to -50 F. At the other extreme, Zone 11 is the warmest zone in tropical locations where lows don’t drop below 40 F. The zones are divided by 10-degree increments. According to the 1990 version of the map, the northern half of Iowa is in Zone 4 and the southern half is in Zone 5. The average annual minimum temperature in Zone 4 is -20 to -30 F. In Zone 5, the average annual minimum temperature is -10 to -20 F. The purpose of the map is to help home gardeners, professional horticulturists and others select plants (trees, shrubs and perennials) that are cold hardy in their area.

When can I stop mowing the lawn in the fall?

Continue to mow the lawn until the grass stops growing. The foliage of cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, stops growing when daytime high temperatures are consistently below 50 F. In central Iowa, bluegrass usually stops growing in early to mid-November. Once the foliage stops growing, the lawn mower can be put away for the winter.

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