10 Beneficial Insects Gardeners Love To See In Their Garden

These include all the six-legged and eight-legged creatures that perform crucial roles. They produce food and other products, reduce pest populations through predation and parasitism, and aerate compact soil. They also recycle nutrients, decompose plant and animal waste, and support other wildlife in vast food chains. All these benefits help plants, gardens, and our ecosystem thrive. 

All these useful insects that we cannot do without belong to one of these four groups.

• Predators: Predatory insects play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance by preying on harmful pests and reducing the need for chemical reliance. Some of these pest-eating powerhouses include ladybugs, ground beetles, and lacewings. You should show these predators some love and entice them to stick around. 
• Parasitoids: Parasitizers prey upon other insects, like predators, but not by eating them. They lay their eggs on or inside a host insect, where the hatched larvae feed on the host. They may specialize in attacking a specific stage of one type of host (the larvae of beetles) or a particular stage of all insects (eggs). Most parasitoids are tiny, stingless wasps or flies. 
• Pollinators: Pollinators are perhaps the most important insects to humans. ⅓ of the food in this world exists because these insects pollinate plants which is essential for fruits, vegetables, and seed production. Sadly, despite their importance, pollinators are declining and if they are not protected, prices of food will increase and other animals that feed on them will be extinct. 
• Decomposers: Decomposition is an important event in a functioning ecosystem. Insects in this category, break down dead or dying organisms into the parts or elements that comprise them such as nitrogen and carbon. These elements return to the soil, which living plants use for healthy growth. Examples of such decomposers are the dung beetle and the earthworm. They are vital components of sustainable gardening and organic waste management

Category: Predatory

Lady bugs or lady beetles are charming predatory insects with signature bright red bodies dotted with black. They hide under foliage, in piles of stones, and under clumps of plants and grass. They are often used in greenhouse environments to control common pests.

An adult seven-spotted ladybird can eat up to 40 aphids an hour, and its larvae are insatiable. They also eat spider mites, scale insects, firebugs, fringe-winged beetles, and various beetle and sawfly larvae. Some species feed on powdery mildew, a harmful fungus that causes plant diseases. When these typical food sources are unavailable, these insects switch to pollen and fruit.

Category: Predatory

Ground beetles are a group of beetles with hardened wings that are useless for flight. They use it to lift heavy objects instead. As creatures of the night, you will hardly see them during the daytime. Even if you see them, it is better to stay away from them as they secrete a foul-smelling liquid when they sense danger. Most adults are ⅛ to ½ inch long with shiny black, brown, iridescent, brightly colored bodies and sturdy little legs.

These insects can consume three times their body weight in food daily, meaning they are great for pest control in your garden. Their diet consists mainly of the eggs and larvae of growing insects, worms, and snails. They also eat aphids, potato beetles, caterpillars, wireworms, and mites. Do not categorize the Japanese beetles as ground beetles. Japanese beetles are pests that eat your plants and belong to species of scarab beetle.

Category: Predatory and Pollinator

Of all the species of lacewings, most are familiar with the green one. They measure about 3/4 inches long when fully grown and have two pairs of large, transparent wings with intricate green veins that do not allow them to fly much or great distance. The most unique trait is the eyes- they are coppery golden. They consume insects, nectar, and pollen and transfer pollen during feeding.

Their larvae, which can grow up to ½ inches, have an insatiable appetite for soft-bodied garden pests, including caterpillars and aphids. They use their hooked jaws to drain fluids of prey, killing and eating hundreds as many as 200 pests in their seven-to-ten-day life cycle. With pollinating and predatory benefits, green lacewings are one of the most valuable garden insects.

Category: Parasitoids

Tiny in size, tachinid flies seem like houseflies with a brown or black body and red, orange, yellow, or tan markings. They grow ¼ to ½-inch long and feed on nectar and pollen for energy to lay eggs in the bodies of host insects or pests such as caterpillars, armyworms, beetles, cabbage loopers, corn borers, grasshoppers, gypsy moth caterpillars, and many more. The larvae then eat the pests to control their population.

There are many different species of tachinid flies, and each species attacks different pests. Their most common targets are the larvae of moths, such as the common lawn pests, armyworms, and cutworms. They also attack the grubs of Japanese beetles.

Category: Parasitoids

Braconid wasps cannot sting their prey, but they are equally deadly. These wasps are less than an inch. At first glance, they look like any other black insects. Upon closer inspection, you will notice the orangish or reddish-brown abdomen. They also have narrow waists, long antennae, and ant-like heads. 

These wasps are beneficial because they lay eggs on or in soft-bodied caterpillars, including cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, and other garden pests. The larvae then feed inside their living hosts, weakening or killing them. You should not kill the caterpillars. Simply move it elsewhere in your garden and let the larvae do their work.

Category: Decomposers

Earthworms are classified as annelids and not insects. Despite this, they are one the most useful organisms found in the garden. They neither feed on pests nor lay eggs on them; instead, they improve soil fertility, allowing plants to grow healthier and healthy plants, as we know, are less susceptible to pests.

As earthworms burrow, they aerate the soil, create channels for water infiltration, work residual plant matter into the soil, and excrete valuable worm humus, all of which help plants grow healthy. Their presence is a sign of healthy soil. These beneficial worms feel most at home under a layer of mulch. So, to promote the earthworm population in your garden, mulch regularly and gently till the soil now and then.

Category: Decomposers

Birds, deer, or other wildlife may visit your crop farms, increasing routes for animal feces to come in contact with fresh produce. This compromises food safety, risking the growers’ efforts and human health. Fortunately, nature has blessed us with dung beetles. These beetles can quickly remove feces before they contaminate the produce. 

Dung beetles consume waste that livestock and wildlife may deposit on farms, suppressing parasites and pathogens dwelling in the waste. They dig and break up the soil to feed their larva, aerating it and allowing water to soak in instead of running off the surface. They also bury the feces, moving nutrient-rich organic material to where plant roots can reach it.

Category: Pollinators

The most common pollinators are insects, and among them, bees. Bees pick up the pollen of flowers and spread it, allowing plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. They also provide high-quality food such as honey and products like beeswax and propolis. 

Bees are also a reflection of our environment. Their population, whether stagnant, increasing, or decreasing, gives us an idea about the environmental changes and communicates to us the appropriate action needed. The changes in the environment can be judged based on the development and health of bees, and precautionary measures can be taken before it is too late.

Category: Pollinators

Hoverflies, or syrphid flies, are often confused for bees or wasps. They are ¼ to ¾ inch long with a hard body that is black or brown with yellow stripes. The only thing that sets them apart from bees and wasps is their wings - they have two instead of four. 

One of the most incredible things about hoverflies is that they can travel hundreds of kilometers in a day to transfer pollen more than 100 kilometers. They are prolific pollinators responsible for 3/4 of global food crops and over 3/4 of animal-pollinated wildflowers. But there is even more to hoverflies. Their larvae consume various pests, keeping their population in check. 

Category: Pollinators

As butterflies flit from one flower to another to feed on nectar, they pollinate plants, which helps fruits, vegetables, and flowers to produce new seeds. They are more important than ever to the ecosystem, especially with the current decline of the bee population. 

Although bees and butterflies both pollinate plants, the latter does it much differently than the former. While collecting nectar, they can travel long distances, spreading pollen across various plant groups that are sometimes miles away from one another. This assists in the genetic variation of the plant species, meaning the plants involved become more resistant to diseases, giving them a better chance of survival.

Beneficial insects, like all living animals, need food, water, and shelter to survive. Therefore, providing these basic needs will make your yard more inviting.

Grow a Diversity of Plants

Planting a diversity of plants will attract various beneficial insects. These insects should be in the garden before pests start infesting your crops. They will only stick around in a garden with plenty of pollen and nectar.

Therefore, at the start of the season, plant early bloomers such as alyssum and crocus and late flowers such as asters and goldenrod provide a consistent food source throughout the growing season. The different nectars and pollen will attract insects. 

Include Water Source

All living beings need water, and insects are no exception. Consider adding a water feature like shallow saucers around the yard with water and some smooth rocks to give insects a place to rest while they drink.

If you use a sprinkler to water your garden, the puddles that form should suffice to keep your bug population hydrated. However, the insects require another water source from a bowl or garden saucer between waterings. If not, these insects will take off to search for water, so ensure the saucer and bowls are always filled with water. 

Provide Protection

Some beneficial insects, like ground beetles, keep low to the ground, searching for soil-dwelling pests and rarely climb foliage. They patrol the soil at night and need shelter from the heat and sunlight during the day.

Mulching your garden beds allows ground beetles and other earthbound insects to find a haven during the hottest daytime. Mulch also keeps the soil moist and prevents beneficial bugs from losing hydration. Stepping stones are another good source of friendly bug cover. Many insects thrive under flat surfaces and stones when not hunting pests.

Delay Fall Garden Cleanup

If your garden is littered with dead stems, stumps, branches, and leaves, you may be tempted to clean up but avoid doing so. Many beneficial insects, their larvae, and eggs overwinter in these debris. Cleaning too vigorously before the temperatures drop will leave the insects with nowhere else to hibernate or lay their eggs. 

Do most of your cleanup in the spring to avoid ruining the insects’ potential habitat. While cleaning, only rake away plant debris from diseased or infested plants because branches and trunks are a food source for many beneficial bugs. 

Avoid Using Chemical Insecticides and Pesticides

Chemical pest controls cannot discern the good and bad bugs. As a result, many pollinators and other beneficial bugs die from pesticide products. Therefore, they are unsuitable for use in the home garden. Pesticides also contaminate soil and waterways. 

Before reaching for a chemical solution, consider natural methods like fruit protection bags and floating row covers. Experiment with companion planting and practice good garden maintenance. With a safe habitat to explore, beneficial insects will control pests more effectively in the long run. If a pesticide is a must, limit the negative impact on beneficial insects by selecting appropriate products and using them carefully.