Good bugs for vegetable gardens, is that possible? When you’re starting a vegetable garden, one of the things you may feel most concerned about is the idea of pests destroying your hard work.
You’re planning to put a lot of effort into your vegetable garden, and you may have already got started. The last thing you want is for some insects to destroy the vegetables you’re trying to grow for your family to enjoy.
While it makes sense to eliminate some of those unwanted pests from the garden, there is such a thing as good bugs. The good bugs can benefit your garden in different ways. If you spot them, make sure you’re not swatting them off your plants or killing them because of the good they can do for you! They’ll save you time, money, and effort by controlling these unwanted pests and keeping them away for good.
Braconid Wasps
The thought of having any wasps around might freak you out, but it’s good to know that braconid wasps are one of the best insects to have lingering around in your garden. It’s even more important to have them in your garden when you’re Growing Tomatoes. When growing tomatoes, it’s common to deal with tomato hornworms.
These worms are attracted to tomatoes and will often destroy them, causing much frustration for gardeners. You might feel like you’ve wasted time if your tomatoes and other vegetables get destroyed.
If you have these wasps in the garden, you can expect them to take care of the hornworms for you. They attach themselves to the hornworms and lay eggs. As those eggs start to hatch, they feed on the insides of the hornworms, causing them to die. It might sound gruesome, but it’s part of the food chain for these insects. When you want to keep your tomatoes growing without getting destroyed in the process, these are the wasps you should avoid killing.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs have a unique appearance that makes them such a popular insect. People think these insects are adorable because of their bright red color with black and white spots. While they look innocent to humans, they’re major predators in the garden, making them great to keep around. As a predator, they rely on their prey when they need a meal.
Aphids are one of many types of insects they’ll prey upon when possible. These aren’t the only insects they’ll eat. They’re also known to consume scales and mites, both of which typically eat plants. When you want to put a stop to insects eating your plants and causing destruction, you need to have ladybugs in the garden.
Attracting Ladybugs to Your Vegetable Garden
Ground Beetles
For someone who doesn’t like bugs, the appearance of ground beetles may be a bit frightening. While they look gross, they’re good to have in the garden because they eat many insects. The ground beetles enjoy hiding out in the soil, and you can often find them lingering around rocky areas.
When given a chance, they’ll consume many of the insects known to eat plants, such as caterpillars, aphids, and maggots. They’ll also eat slugs and ants. If you’re having a problem with any unwanted insects in your garden, ground beetles are a must-have.
It’s a good idea to add some mulch to your garden. Ground beetles enjoy spending time in the soil, but they also like to inhabit areas with lots of mulch. You’re more likely to attract ground beetles when you have mulch in certain areas of the garden.
Assassin Flies
Assassin flies, commonly known as robber flies, are predators known to eat all types of insects in the garden. Their large appetite and predatory nature make them one of the best bugs to have lingering around outside your home.
These flies can feast upon larger insects that destroy vegetable plants, such as grasshoppers and mosquitoes. Not only is it great to have them around to protect your plants, but also to control the mosquito population. If you’re prone to mosquito bites, you’ll enjoy having a way to keep them under control to avoid constant bites.
Hoverflies
While hoverflies help pollinate flowers that you might grow in your garden, you’ll need their larvae to keep the insect population under control. Hoverfly larvae are difficult to see without a magnifying glass. Although these creatures are tiny, they’re predators that will easily capture and consume aphids from your garden.
When aphids are a severe problem in the vegetable garden, it helps to have these flies lingering around, mating, and laying larvae everywhere.
Spiders
Whether you’re afraid of them or not, spiders are good to have in the vegetable garden. While they look scary to some people, these insects are known predators that consume various insects each day.
If you’re dealing with a lot of annoying pests in the garden, and it’s starting to feel like you’ll never get to grow the vegetables you want, bring some spiders to the garden. They’ll help with insect control in no time.
The right spiders will eat mosquitoes, beetles, and aphids. Once you have a few spiders crawling around the vegetable garden, you’ll no longer need to worry about other insects damaging the crops you’re trying to grow.
Good Bugs for Vegetable Gardens
Sure, you might not like the thought of seeing bugs in your garden. However, you’re going to attract all kinds of insects when growing vegetables. Some insects are naturally attracted to different vegetables, such as tomatoes and lettuce. The good news is that some bugs are good for your garden. Instead of stressing over the possible destruction of your plants, know which bugs are good to have in the garden, and make sure you keep them there instead of killing them.
When those beneficial bugs exist, they can fight off all the insects that would typically cause harm to your plants. As a result, you can keep your garden looking its best while growing some of your favorite vegetables in your backyard. Using assorted predatory bugs is the best way to naturally control unwanted pests without using toxic chemicals that could destroy your vegetables.