10 “Pests” You’ll Regret Chasing Away from Your Garden

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You probably have a picture in your mind of the perfect garden, with beautiful flowers and greenery and a butterfly or two flitting about. Pests are the last thing you want to add to that list, right?. But before you reach for that pesticide or start shooing away every bug that sets foot in your house, you might want to know that many so called pests actually are beneficial allies. Yes, you read that right! Some can actually be good for your plants — working wonders while you sit back and watch.

Let’s step away from the gardening for a moment to appreciate the creatures you might be unknowingly chasing away from your garden.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs are often considered good bugs and for a good reason – they are the bright red beetles with black spots. Aphids populations are kept in check by ladybugs. Ladybugs love to feed on aphids, those pesky little insects that want to suck the life out of your plants. In its lifetime, one ladybug can eat 5,000 aphids. If you see a ladybug in your garden, then let it do its job. Don’t dismiss it too quickly, it’s busy working for you in the background to keep your plants happy.

Earthworms

Earthworms aren’t exactly pests, and they are a very important part of the garden ecosystem. These are nature’s plowers — aerate soil & break down organic matter to improve your soil structure. Their tunneling practice aerates, waters, and provides nutrients benefiting plant roots. Next time you see an earthworm, know you have a happy, thriving garden.

Praying Mantises

On first glance, a praying mantis probably looks something straight out of a science fiction movie. Yet these interesting creatures are great hunters and deserve to be welcome in your garden. Feeding on a wide variety of insects, moths, flies and even mosquitoes, praying mantises are natural predators. You might do a double take, but they’re there to control pest populations in your garden without harming your plants.

Bees

Bees are your best friends if you’re trying to get the most out of your garden. Flowering plants rely on these hard working pollinators to succeed. Many of your favorite fruits and vegetables wouldn’t be able to reproduce without bees. According to research, bees help pollinate about a third of the food we eat. The next time a bee buzzes past your ear, remember that it’s doing important work!

Spiders

For many, the word ‘spider’ sends shivers down the spine, but these arachnids are some of the best pest control agents around by trapping some insects in their webs such as flies and mosquitoes. You don’t want a spider in your living room, but a few spiders in your garden will help keep the bugs off your plants.

Lacewings

While lacewing larvae are often ignored, they are very good at controlling aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies. A lacewing is a pretty insect with delicate, transparent wings; but the real workers are the larvae. Lacewing larvae are devastating hunters that will consume many hundreds of pests in days. If you chance upon lacewings fluttering around, that’s alright – they’re on your side.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are a bit less glamorous than ladybugs, but they are just as valuable in the garden because they are nocturnal. They are predators of slugs, snails, and other soil dwelling pests that will damage plant roots. Caterpillar and other larvae populations are also controlled by ground beetles. If you see one in your garden, take a second to appreciate the good work it’s doing underground.

Centipedes

Although they might not be the first critters you’d invite to your garden party, centipedes have a well earned reputation as highly effective hunters. These multi legged predators feast on insects like termites, ants, and other pests that would otherwise harm your plants. They prefer moist environments, though, so they stick to the soil or mulch, helping to keep the harmful insect population in check.

Dragonflies

Not only is a dragonfly a beautiful thing to have in your garden, it can also work as an excellent pest controller. These flying insects are voracious predators of mosquitoes, flies, and other smaller insects. Most of the dragonflies’ lives are spent as larvae in water, hunting down larvae of pests before they even make it to adulthood. If you have some in your garden, then they are a sign that your garden’s ecosystem is thriving.

Wasps

Most people cringe at the sight of a wasp but these insects do have a useful role in the garden. Caterpillars, flies, and aphids are natural prey to wasps. They also pollinate certain plants. While you probably don’t want to come across their nests, you don’t want to destroy these creatures. Besides, they do a lot more good than it looks. They’re usually only aggressive when they feel threatened, so if you leave them alone they’ll most likely leave you alone too.