Helpful Insects in the Garden

Many people think of insects in their garden as a bad thing. True while some insects such as aphids can be harmful or annoying. Others such as ladybugs are helpful. The trick is to find a balance between the harmful insects and the helpful ones.

Ladybug

Ladybugs as before mentioned, are very helpful insects for a garden. Ladybugs feed on Aphids mites and small caterpillars which are damaging. Both the adult and larvae eat the pests. The Larvae are most active between May and July, and Adults there after. You can even buy Ladybugs at many greenhouses and nurseries as well as through mail order.

Aphids

Green Lacewings are one of the best Insect Predator that you could hope for. The larvae eat Aphids, mealybugs, scales and white flies, Spider mites and thripes to name a few.

Green Lacewing

Hover Flies are another helpful insect. They look like dark bees or wasps. Hover flies feed on fruit tree spider mites, green flies and caterpillars. They are easily attracted to plants such as marigolds, an phacelia plants. Putting them throughout your garden encourages the Hover Flies to come.

Hover Flies

Dragonflies are very helpful. They eat the ever pesky mosquitoes. The can be encouraged to visit your garden by planting reedy plants.

Dragonflies

Bees are another helpful insect. While they do not eat other insects, they do pollinate trees and flowers. Many vegetables require pollination of their flowers as well. Having bees nearby will help this process along. Planting flowers around your garden will encourage bees to visit.

Amphibians especially frogs eat flies, moths and other flying insects. You can encourage frogs in your garden by putting in a small pond. A pond will also bring on more dragonflies. A pond can be filled with aquatic plants, the more dense the plants, the more helpful insects and amphibians will take up residence there. Feeding on the harmful insects. Be aware that mosquitoes will breed in water.

A final helpful animal that is a great bug eater are birds. Planting your garden near trees as well as having bird feeders out encourage birds to live near your garden. While they will eat the birdseed, they will also eat insects.

With insects it can be a delicate balance. Some are harmful, some are helpful. Knowing what harmful insects you have in your area as well as how to combat them without using pesticides which are dangerous to other creatures besides insects, is a gardening must.

Knowing that many insects that are in your garden are not there to harm the plants, but often do helpful things is also important. Get to know the insects in your area, know which are harmful, and which are helpful. Encourage helpful insects.