12 Beneficial Insects You Want in Your Garden

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Insects play a critical role in maintaining the health of our gardens, from pollination to pest control. While you may see them as pests or nuisances, many insects can benefit your garden in numerous ways.

Here are twelve of the most valuable and beneficial insects you want to attract to your garden.

Bees

Bees play a crucial role in pollination, which is essential for every garden ecosystem. Without bees, plants would not bear fruit or seeds. In gardens, honeybees and bumblebees are usually seen, but 4000 other species of bees also take food from plants and play an essential role in pollination.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are among our most easily recognizable beneficial insects. They eat creatures such as aphids, mealybugs, and mites and are brilliant at naturally controlling garden bugs. A single ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

Praying Mantis

Though the praying mantis can be a scary predator, it also benefits your garden. It eats various pests like leafhoppers, moths, flies, and other insects like crickets and grasshoppers. But it’s not just those pests that praying mantises can catch and devour: they also eat helpful bugs like bees and butterflies.

Lacewings

Lacewings are another valuable addition to any garden. They prey on aphids, mealybugs, thrips, and whiteflies. They are also known for their beautiful wings, which resemble lace, hence the name.

Ground Beetles

There are over 2800 species of ground beetles, all part of the vast Carabidae family. They enjoy a varied diet, which includes slugs, snails, caterpillars, and even weed seeds. Ground beetles are one of the predators that can protect your garden — they are big on snacking on slugs and caterpillars.

Hoverflies

Hoverflies look very similar to bees but do not have stingers. These beneficial insects eat nectar, pollen and prey on aphids, thrips, and other small insects. They also play a crucial role in pollinating many flowers and crops.

Tachinid Flies

Tachinid flies are parasitic insects that lay their eggs on pests, such as caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers. They attack pests such as caterpillars, etc. Once the eggs hatch, larvae form and feed on the host until they kill them. This natural predation can help control pests in your garden.

Damsel Bugs

The damsel bug is a small but fiercely fighting beneficial insect. It can help with many pests, such as aphids, mites, thrips, and caterpillars. It will also eat harmful insect eggs and beneficial insects like ladybugs.

Ground Spiders

Ground spiders are great for catching pests in your garden. They eat insects such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles and help to keep the populations of nasty pests like cutworms and squash bugs in line.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies may seem intimidating with their large size and sharp jaws, but they are beneficial predators in your garden. They feed on mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and other small insects that can be nuisances to you and your plants.

Soldier Beetles

Soldier Beetles are another beneficial insect army that will decimate aphids, caterpillars, and sawfly larvae. They also assist the pollination process by consuming plant nectar and pollen. You may encourage them to move in by planting goldenrods, daisies, and asters.

Parasitic Wasps

Parasitic wasps are not the same as yellow jackets or hornets. They are minute insects that lay their eggs on pests such as caterpillars, beetles, and aphids. Once they hatch, larvae feed on the host until they eventually die. They are a safe and natural method for great population control in your garden.