The five ‘good’ bugs to welcome in to your garden

Forget nasty chemicals – there are some ‘good’ insects will battle and control pests in your garden for you.

So, next time you see one of these guys hanging around, try not to squish it but it’s your gardening friend, not foe!

Bees

Many homeowners are look for ways to get rid of bees because they’re nervous of being stung.

But, these buzzing insects are actually fantastic pollinators. Why? Without them, we wouldn’t have nearly as many flowers and plants. Did you know that 30 per cent of our diet is the direct result of bee pollination of a fruit or plant?

Lacewings

Lacewings are fantastic predators. They will snap up on a wide variety of plant-destroying pests, including aphids, scales, thrips, mealybugs and caterpillars. Lacewings also frequently feed on eggs, nectar pollen and honey. Interestingly, their larvae eat an impressive 200 insects a week. 

Ground beetles

 Ground beetles in the garden are a good thing because they’re nocturnal, so great at keeping those night time pests such as mosquitos under control! 

Soldier beetles

Soldier beetles are great partners to have in your garden. These incredible insects are most useful in late summer, when aphids and other insects begin to lay their eggs, which the soldier beetles eat. Soldier beetles also help control pests such as caterpillars.  

Lady beetles

Lady beetle adults eats their fair share of aphids, mealybugs and mites, but it’s their larvae that are particularly fantastic. They can get an aphid and mite infestation under control in no time. While majority of lady beetles are good, do keep an eye our for the 28-spotted lady beetle, tough, which is known to munch through your garden. 

Do you cultivate ‘good’ bugs in your garden, or prefer to have no creepy crawlies at all?