Unconventional Beneficial Garden Insects

We all enjoy being outside and, in our gardens, whether it be a vegetable or flower garden. Insects are a necessary part of those gardens,  through pollination or predatory instincts. But all too often we are quick to lump a majority of insects into the “harmful” insect category without really knowing the full story behind their roles in the garden.

Insects like the lady beetle and bees are well known for their benefits to the garden landscape. But did you know wasps are also beneficial to our gardens? Certain wasp species have been proven to hunt down pesky insects and remove them, thus helping the overall health of the garden. 

Mantids are also a great predator for your garden. With over 2,000 species found worldwide, these great hunters are also non-discriminate hunters and have been seen killing many pests like grasshoppers, moths, and flies. 

Another beneficial insect is the European earwig. While some people consider the earwig a pest in their garden, they can actually be beneficial to the overall balance of the garden.They are omnivore, eat leaves or petals from plants,and will eat lots of insects as well. The earwig is nocturnal, so it eats at night.

We have all experienced spiders in the gardens. There are many kind of spiders that are extremely beneficial such as the harvestman spider, also known as a daddy-long-legs. These helpful hunters help keep down the overall populations of a myriad of harmful pests in and around your garden. Pests such as aphids, slugs and other spiders have been shown to be controlled via the harvestman spider.

So maybe next time you’re out in your garden, don’t be quick to judge these pests and allow them to do the dirty work for you.