red rhododendronHome gardening which includes flower gardens, container gardening as well as vegetable gardening can draw many garden bugs both good bugs and garden pests.

We know that not all bugs and insects in our gardens are beneficial so it’s important to know which are your friends and which you should get rid of.

The five insects or bugs listed below are beneficial to your garden so be careful not to kill them like I was doing before I realized what I was doing.

1. The Common Ground Beetles

common ground beetleI see the common ground beetle in my garden and yard but usually only when I turn something over that they are hiding in for the day as they are mostly nocturnal.

I remember as a kid on our farm I would catch them and put them in bottles to take to school to show my friends.

Why do I like the common ground beetles today? Well they help me keep the slug population under control, although I have to help them if there has been too much rain as slugs seem to multiply a whole lot more in damp conditions.

More info on the Common Ground Beetle.

2. Ladybugs

ladybugLadybugs are one garden friendly bug people actually purchase for their gardens as they are great helpers when it come to garden pest control.

Part of their diet include such pests as aphids, mites, white flies and other harmful insects. Keeping ladybugs in your home garden will help to keep some of your garden pest problem at bay.

For more info about the garden friendly ladybug.

3. Honeybees

bumblebeeThe bees in your garden aren’t going to eat other garden pests but they have another talent that helps your garden.

As honeybees and bumblebees fly from flower to flower eating nectar they can’t help but to collect pollen on their legs and body which helps to pollinate the flowers in your garden.

I love watching them go from blossom to blossom on our rhododendrons by the dozens.

In recent years there has been a noticeable decrease in honeybee numbers which could quickly become a real issue for the farmers needing bees to pollinate their crops. Going green and staying green is a great step in helping the bees.

4. Dragonflies

dragonflyI really don’t ever see dragonflies in our gardens but I do see them where people have some kind of water feature or when I go fishing of course.

I can sit and watch them buzz around like little helicopters and how they hover and land on things. However, they are more than just great to watch as they love munching down on garden and yard pests like those mosquitoes I love to hate.

5. Lacewings

lacewingThe lacewing is another garden friendly insect who loves to eat aphids for breakfast, lunch and supper. So they are a good insect to have in your home garden.

They don’t stop at just aphids though. They also like caterpillars, mealy bugs, and leafminers, and can eat hundreds of pest every single week.

It’s good to know and learn that not all garden insects are pests or harmful but instead are beneficial and help you avoid using harmful pesticides in your garden.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Related Posts

Zemanta

Tagged with: • • •

Filed under: backyard garden • flower garden • garden • gardening • home garden • organic gardening • pest control • vegetable gardening

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!