10 insects you actually want in your garden

When most people think of garden bugs they assume the kind that devour innocent plants before they can reach their prime or spread their seeds. While there are plenty of insect species that are harmful to healthy gardens there are just as many species that thrive in gardens by devouring the aforementioned pests.

Many of these insects will either help by pollinating your plants or by controlling the population of pests. Let’s take a look at the top 10 insects you’ll want to keep around your garden.

Praying Mantises

You might be tempted to keep praying mantises around simply because of how majestic they are. However, don’t let their grace fool you; these guys are ferocious predators that feed on all manner of other bugs including aphids, grubs, crickets, flies and grasshoppers amongst many others.

Bees

While bees are great for providing us with delicious honey they are also essential for the lifecycle of many plants. They are one of the world’s best pollinators and in some regions are the only effective ways to pollinate large amount of plants.

Ladybugs

This tiny and colourful insect is a treat to have in the garden just for its visual appeal let alone its caretaking abilities. Ladybugs devour large amounts of pests including aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, lice and many other problem bugs.

Butterflies

Butterflies are not only beautiful to have flying around but like bees will actively pollinate plants and encourage the growth of new plants around the garden. They carry pollen and fertilise other plants which generate newer seeds.

Lacewings

Lacewings are the number 1 predators of aphids and whiteflies both in adult and larval stages. The female lacewings actually lay their eggs in the colonies of whiteflies and aphids so that the lacewings larvae can have a feeding frenzy.

Lacewings larvae are however very susceptible to attack by ants that seek to protect the aphids, so keeping them around means fighting off the ants.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are another great predator to have in your garden. They will happily eat mosquitoes, whiteflies, flies, moths, fruit flies and larvae.

Earthworms

Most people accept that the presence of earthworms means that the garden soil is healthy. Earthworms are useful for aerating the soil and controlling the pH of the soil.

Bumble Bees

Not dissimilar to regular bees, bumble bees are slightly larger and hairier but are less likely to be aggressive towards humans. Fruit trees are especially good at attracting bumble bees.

Spiders

Alright, a lot of people are squeamish of spiders but let’s face it, they’re the top of the food chain in the world of creepy crawlies. While spiders aren’t insects (they have 8 legs not 6) they are one of the biggest insect eaters and many people keep them around their garden during summertime to reduce pesky mosquito numbers.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are nocturnal hunters and eat a wide array of other insects as well as their eggs. When you find these guys, don’t kill them but let them police your garden from insects that are harmful to you plants.