Mother nature provides us with some really great ways of getting rid of annoying insect pests in the garden: Other bugs! Even better yet, many of them help to pollinate some of our most important crops and flowers.
If you see any of these insects out in the garden, leave them be! They're just doing their job :)
1. Bees
Bees are pollinating workhorses. You want as many of them in your garden as you can get! The more pollinators you have, the more fruits you'll get!
2. Dragonflies
In just about 30 minutes, dragonflies can consume their whole body weight in insects. The pesky little bugs that we see as a problem, they view as dinner.
3. Minute Pirate Bug
These little guys are great in the garden. They're really small (about 1/8") but boy do they eat their fair share. They love to snack on spider mites, aphids, scale, and thrips!
4. Ladybugs
These ladies (or guys too) are great for controlling insect pests. In fact, they're so good at it that they are commercially "farmed". You can actually purchase ladybugs to release in your yard!
5. Hoverfly
Most people confuse these with bees but they're not! They tend to hover motionless in flight, unlike bees who tend to fly around more. They are great for controlling aphids, scale, thrips, and caterpillers. They're almost as effective at controlling aphids as Ladybugs!
6. Damsel Bugs
If you have these damsels in you garden, don't worry! They're definitely not in distress. You'll commonly find them feeding on aphids, moth eggs, and small caterpillars.
7. Butterflies
Not only are butterflies beautiful and fun to watch flutter around, but they're also great pollinators! While you enjoy their beauty, they're helping pollinate your fruits and flowers.
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