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Insects that are Beneficial to your GardenMany gardeners dread the thought of crawling, flying or creeping insects taking over their yard. However, the presence of these small creatures who labor quietly in gardens is beneficial. The thousands of beetles, flies, worms, spiders, bees and other bugs who may inhabit a garden can minimize insecticide use and encourage your garden to thrive. While there are a large number of insects that are harmful to gardens, there are also some that play a positive role. Many of these beneficial garden insects aid in pollination. This is the transfer of pollen from one flower to another and aids in the production of fruits, vegetables and seeds. Insects also play a major role in natural pest control. This occurs when insects eat pests that can destroy plants and spread bacterial diseases. Insects improve the condition of the soil as their droppings can be used as a fertilizer and fertility is created as the insects burrow through the layers of soil. Knowing the difference between a good bug and a bad bug allows us to identify which pests could be beneficial to a garden and which will only cause havoc on the plants. Below is a list of our bug allies and a description of how they are beneficial to a garden. Centipedes – These insects have an orange, long flat body with over fifteen pairs of legs. Centipedes are often confused for millipedes which are harmful to plants. Gardeners can determine the difference by looking at the legs. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment while centipedes only have one. Centipedes are beneficial to a garden as they help control small slugs and soil-residing insects. Ground Beetles – These elongated insects have flat black bodies but some can be vibrantly colored. Ground beetles can be spotted by finding unique spurs on their long legs. This common type of beetle eats a variety of pests from gardens, including slugs, cutworms, grubs and other small bugs. Honey Bees – These easy to identify insects have stripped orange and black bodies and can be found flying near flowers. Honey bees are beneficial to gardens as they transfer pollen from plant to plant. While honey bees do have stingers, they are only able to sting a single time before they die. Ladybugs – Contrary to their innocent look, ladybugs are highly beneficial to any type of garden. They can be identified by their red oval or round bodies with black spots. Ladybugs typically feed on mealybugs, scale insects, aphids, mites and other small bugs. Adult ladybugs often lay their eggs near a source of prey. Spiders – These wingless slow-crawling insects have eight legs and two body segments. Spiders can be found in a wide variety of colors and with distinctive markings. While many fear spiders, they are a great addition to any garden as they eat large amounts of pesky insects that they catch in their webs. Praying Mantises – With long antennae, elongated green bodies and a leathery texture, the praying mantis aids effectively in bug control. Praying mantises use their thin front legs to hold their prey. These unique looking insects tend to eat a variety of bad garden bugs, such as adult moths and potato beetles. Lacewings – These brown or green insects have long antennae and thin bodies. However, brown lacewings are more common near wooded areas. Lacewings can be spotted by their delicate vein-like wings. Both adult lacewings and their larva feed on mites, aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and scale insects. Hoverflies – Similar to honey bees, hoverflies have yellow and black bodies and often hover over flowers. Hoverflies can be identified by their false vein that appears in each wing. These bugs attack and feed on scale insects and aphids. Hoverflies also play a major role in pollination as they carry pollen from flower to flower. |
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