Beneficial insects in gardens

Beneficial insects in gardens

What are Beneficial Insects

Gardening is a great hobby for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors. The benefits of gardening include exercise, fresh air, and relaxation. Gardening also provides opportunities to connect with nature and other people.

But the most common problem every gardener faces is the issue of pests. Pests can ruin your beautiful garden. If you want to get rid of them, you should consider using beneficial insects. These helpful bugs eat harmful pests such as aphids, caterpillars, and beetles, and help in pest control. They don’t harm plants or humans.

Beneficial insects play a vital role in keeping our environment clean and safe from pests. They eat harmful insects. There are over 3,500 species of insects that are beneficial worldwide, each performing a specific role in nature. These beneficial insect species include predators such as ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. 

Beneficial insects are helpful because they eat harmful pests such as aphids, caterpillars, and other types of bugs. They also pollinate flowers and trees, thus helping them produce fruit and seeds. They help in natural pest control and biological control methods.

There are many types of beneficial insects that can help control pests in your garden. Some are predators, some are parasites, and some are pollinators. All of these insects play important roles in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

You can attract beneficial insects into your garden by planting flowers that they love. They'll come back every year to feed on pests such as aphids, caterpillars, and other harmful insects.

Some plants have been bred specifically for attracting beneficial insects. These plants produce nectar or pollen that attracts beneficial insects. You can grow these plants in your garden or you can purchase them at local nurseries.

The best way to attract beneficial insects is to plant flowers that they like. Here are some examples:

  • Wildflowers, including marigolds, cosmos, sunflower, daisies, dandelions, and more.
  • Herbaceous perennials, including common yarrow, fennel, chamomile, wild carrot, and mint.
  • Annuals, including marigolds and zinnias.
  • Trees and shrubs, including lilacs, roses, and eucalyptus.
  • If you want to attract pollinating insects, try growing fruit trees and flowering vines. Many bees prefer to visit blossoms rather than fruits. Also, grow perennial plants and native plants.
  • Planting flowers that attract beneficial insects will not only make your garden look beautiful, but will keep your yard pest-free.

How To Have Beneficial Garden Insects 

1. Choose Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects

2. Plant Flowers That Are Suitable For Beneficial Insects

3. Provide Food And Water For Beneficial Insects

4. Encourage Them With Natural Means

5. Maintain A Healthy Environment

6. Use Natural Methods Of Pest Management

7. Use Organic Measures

8. Make Sure Your Plants Have Enough Sunlight so they can flower well

Some of the harmful insects and pests 

There are several types of harmful insect pests and garden pests, such as Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider mites, Thrips, Japanese beetles, Mealybugs, and Scale insects. Some of these insects and pests cause damage to the leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, and seeds of plants. The best way to prevent these insects and pests from harming your plants is to keep them away from the plants.

Common garden insects include aphids which are small insects that suck the sap from the plant stem. They cause leaves to curl up and turn yellow. Another pest is whiteflies. Whiteflies are tiny flying insects that feed on the sap of plants. They also spread viruses and bacteria. Other pests include mites, which eat the roots of plants, and slugs and snails, which eat the leaves of plants.

Here are some beneficial insects which keep these pests and insects away from your garden plants

Ladybug

A ladybug is beneficial because they eat aphids, which cause damage to plants. Ladybug is a voracious predator and helps control pests such as flies, mosquitoes, and ants.

Ladybug

Mealybug Destroyer

The larvae and adult mealybug destroyer feed on the mealybugs. They also prey on some soft-scale insects, soft-bodied insects, and aphids.

Mealybug Destroyer

Praying Mantis

Praying mantis eat other insects and insect eggs such as flies, mosquitoes, and spiders. They also help control pests like ants, cockroaches, and termites.

Braconid Wasps

Adults lay eggs on or in caterpillars. Braconid larvae feed inside the host. Caterpillars are weakened or killed by the braconids. The braconid wasps are attracted to the caterpillars when they munch on the leaves of the plant.

Braconid Wasps

Spiders

A spider is beneficial because they eat insects, which are harmful to humans. They also help control pests such as mosquitos and flies. Spiders are also helpful for controlling the population of ants, cockroaches, and other bugs.

Spiders

Ladybird beetle

Ladybugs are helpful bugs that help control harmful insects. Adult lady beetles eat aphids, while the larvae eat the insects' offspring. Ladybugs lay their eggs among the prey, so the larvae can feed on them as well.

Aphid Midges

The aphis midge larvae eat aphids, mosquitoes, and other pests. They also help control diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. 

Aphid Midges

Damsel Bugs

They feed on caterpillars like the corn earworm, soybean looper, and green clover worm.

 

Bees

Honey bees are beneficial insects because they pollinate plants and flowers, which helps them grow. They also help control pests such as mosquitoes, flies, and wasps. Honey bees are important for agriculture because they increase crop production and provide food for humans.

Bees

Green Lacewings

Green lacewings are generalist predators which feed on mites, aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, and also leafhoppers. The larvae are called aphid lions.

Green Lacewings

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are beneficial insects because they eat mosquitoes and other pests. They also help control the population of mosquitos that carry diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.Dragonflies

Minute Pirate Bugs

Minute pirate bugs feed on the eggs of the pest insects. 

Minute Pirate Bugs

Soldier Beetle

These are important pollinators for flowers.

Ground Beetles

A ground beetle is beneficial because they eat insects that cause damage to crops. They also help control pests such as aphids and caterpillars. Ground beetles are also known for eating slugs and snails which helps keep garden soil clean. The ground beetle larvae feed on soil-dwelling insects.

Ground Beetles

Tachinid Flies

Tachinid fly is an important parasite of many caterpillars and other leaf-eating insects. Adult female tachinid fly lays her eggs on or in other insects, from beetle to grasshopper. She then hatches her eggs and feeds her larvae inside her host, weakening or killing them.

Hoverflies

After honeybees, the hoverflies are considered the second most important pollinators. Also, some species of these insects help in the control of pests such as scale insects and soft-bodied aphids.

Predatory Mites

A predatory mite is a small arthropod that are predators of aphids, whiteflies, thrips, mealybugs, spider mites, leafhoppers, and scale insects. These pests cause damage to crops and trees, and they also transmit diseases. The best way to control these pests is to use a natural predator called a predatory mite.

Predatory Mites

Predatory Stink Bugs

Predatory stink bugs are beneficial insects because they eat other pests such as aphids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, thrips, and mealybugs. They also help control spider mites, which damage crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, eggplants, and strawberries.

Predatory Stink Bugs

Spined soldier bug

Spined soldier bugs are beneficial insects because they eat aphids and other harmful pests. They also help control spider mites, which are a problem for crops such as tomatoes and peppers.

Spined soldier bug

Wasps

A wasp is beneficial for humans because they eat aphids, which cause damage to crops. They also pollinate flowers and help control pests such as mosquitoes and flies.

Beetles

There are many beneficial beetles. They eat aphids which cause damage to plants. They also help control other insects such as ants and spiders.

Beetles

Millipede

Millipedes are beneficial insects because they eat pests such as ants, cockroaches, termites, and other bugs. They also help keep soil healthy by breaking down organic matter into nutrients for plants.

Millipede

Butterflies and Moths

Butterflies and moths are beneficial insects because they eat harmful pests such as aphids, caterpillars, and other types of insects. They also pollinate plants and help control diseases.

Butterflies

Syrphid Flies

Syrphid flies are beneficial insects because they eat harmful pests such as aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, and thrips. They also pollinate plants and help control diseases like powdery mildew and rust.

Syrphid Flies

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are beneficial insects because they eat aphids, which are harmful to plants. They also help control other pests such as caterpillars and slugs.

Earthworms

They help decompose organic matter, which helps keep soil healthy. Earthworms are beneficial insects because they eat decaying organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, and manure. They also help control soil erosion and add nutrients to the soil.

Earthworms

Praying mantis

These amazing creatures eat many pests that harm crops and plants. They prey on mosquitoes, flies, aphids.

Praying mantis

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Get rid of mealybugs

 

Happy Gardening!

Dr. Vandana K.