One given when you have a garden is that there will be bugs hanging around your beloved plants. Learning more about the insects in your region, though, can help you determine whether they’re friend or foe.
You’ll find a mix of good and bad bugs in your garden, and it’s important to recognize them so you remove only the harmful insects. You want to keep the good ones because they actually help the ecosystem in your garden.
Here is just a brief list of the types you’ll likely encounter so you know whether they can help or hinder your plant growth.
Good Bugs
Even if you dislike bugs, there’s no doubting that there are some that are just amazing to have in your garden, or your yard in general. They don’t have much in common, other than the fact that they are either predators or pollinators, both of which work hard in a garden ecosystem.
Good bugs also help break down dead plants. Here are some that you should welcome into your garden.
Aphid Midge
The aphid midge is a fly-looking insect that eats aphids. Since aphids can wreak some serious damage on your garden, this is one good predator you want to have around.
The aphid midge is on the small side, with a brownish body and long translucent wings. Its saliva is toxic to aphids, so it paralyzes them first and then consumes them.
Ladybug
Ladybugs are thought to bring good luck, but they’re also really good for your garden. As both larvae and adults, they eat aphids, mites, and other pests that can destroy your plants.
However, make sure what you think is a ladybug is actually a ladybug. Asian lady beetles look very similar at first glance. Unlike the ladybug, though, this beetle has been known to destroy crops.
Minute Pirate Bug
At first glance, the minute pirate bug doesn’t look much different than the beetles that consume your leaves, but it’s a good idea to know how to identify them since they do the hard work of eliminating pests from your garden.
These insects are oval-shaped and very small, no more than one-fifth of an inch long! They look almost as if they’re flattened and have a black or brown body with white tail ends.
Green Lacewing
The green lacewing is an amazing addition to your garden; if you see one, leave it alone. A single lacewing can eat up to 200 aphids a week. That’s a lot!
They don’t stop there, though. They also eat caterpillars and white flies, two pests that can severely harm plants. Green lacewings have a long green body with translucent/green wings and long antennae.
Bees
Bees are misunderstood by so many people. We tend to see them as a stinging insect (and they do, but they don’t want to!), rather than the amazing pollinators they are.
Bees carry pollen from one flower to the next, thus helping to create a thriving ecosystem. If you see them, let them be and give them space. And definitely don’t swat at them!
Bad Bugs
Now, we get to look at the flip side of the equation, the bad bugs. These are the ones that strictly harm your plants, eating the leaves and destroying the very structure of them.
So what are some bad bugs you want to be on the lookout for?
Aphids
These tiny white insects are among the worst of the worst in your garden. They hang out on leaves, causing them to curl under and snack away on what, for them, is a tasty snack.
Unfortunately for you, that tasty snack happens to be the plants you’re trying to hard to grow and maintain. They also suck the sap out of them and can spread viruses, which kill plants off.
Slugs
Slugs are hungry little creatures and are known to chomp through your plant leaves like they’re starving. These mollusks look like a homeless snail and have no legs.
Slugs also like to make a snack out of your garden fruits and vegetables, which causes spoilage and affects your harvest.
Spider Mites
Spider mites are another harmful insect that you don’t want to see in your garden. They not only eat away at the leaves, but then they turn to the stalks. That can kill an entire plant off quickly, often before you know it’s happening.
Spider mites are super tiny; in fact, you can’t really see them without a magnifying glass. But, if you’ve ever noticed a dot on your plants that seems to be moving, you’re not seeing things—except one of these pesky insects.
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles, like slugs, don’t care what they eat in your garden. They’ll eat it all. And that will leave you with some barren foliage and plants in a sad, sorry state. They’re quick, too.
Japanese beetles are easily recognizable by their metallic green and brown bodies. They’re pretty fat and can easily measure half an inch long. You’ll often find them in large groups.
Stinkbugs
Stinkbugs are known for giving off a foul odor when they encounter a predator. However, they’re also notorious for noshing on your fruits and vegetables and should be taken care of sooner rather than later if you plan to eat any of the food you grow.
These pests vary in color but are typically grayish-brown or green with a triangular-shaped body that resembles a shield.
