We are all trying to keep our gardens to their best shape but sometimes we interfere a bit too much, and thus we do more harm than good. We see bugs invading our plants and we hurry to remove them. However, it is important to know which insects are pests and which can be helpful for the garden.And it is best to work in harmony with nature and let the bugs do their job.

Yes, our gardens are full of life and it is good to get to know it better. In this way, we will be able, with only a little intervention, to arrange our garden in favor of our faithful helpers – the beneficial insects. By planting more aromatic herbs, spices and ornamental flowers, and even by leaving some flowering weeds, we can attract some of the beneficial insects. Insects that feed on pests are attracted not so much by the pests themselves, but by the flowers, because most of them supplement their diet with flower nectar. Another useful idea is to identify places for permanent beds and the paths next to them. If you cover the paths with wood chips, many beneficial insects will find refuge there. Mulch in the beds is also a good shelter for a number of bugs. If you apply these little tricks, you will have a fragrant and buzzing garden which, in addition to pleasing you with its beautiful colors and useful fruits and vegetables, will also become a wonderful field for young explorers - children with magnifying glasses in their hands.

Of course, it is important to keep your garden clean of all chemicals so that it can be truly alive.

Here are some of the most popular and important insects in the garden.

Ladybirds

The most popular of all the beneficial bugs in the garden, and much loved by children, are the ladybirds. The reason they are useful is that they eat a lot of bad bugs. Each ladybird can eat from fifty to sixty aphids a day and over five thousand in its lifetime. They like to feed on aphids, scale bugs, mealy worms, whitefly, mites and others.

To attract them, plant some marigold, geranium, yarrow, parsley, dill and coriander in your garden. Do not worry about them being eaten by predators because they give off an odour that most other bugs do not like.

Green Lacewings

Adult specimens of this delicate insect feed mainly on pollen, nectar and honeydew (secreted by aphids), but many of them supplement their diet with other small insects. However, their larvae are predatory and feed on all kinds of small insects such as aphids, caterpillars, larvae and eggs of other insects. Green Lacewings usually lay their eggs in places where there is prey for the larvae - for example on an aphid-infested plant.

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are active predators. They feed mainly on a variety of small insects but also deal with caterpillars and even slugs. To attract them to your garden, it is a good idea to mulch so there is a place for them to hide.

Praying Mantis

Another very curious insect is the praying mantis. It is a vicious predator and can save you from a lot of pests in the garden. Its menu includes flies, mosquitoes, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and sometimes it attacks creatures larger than itself. Unfortunately, it is not a picky eater, and some useful bugs can get into its jaws as well.

Fireflies (Glowworms)

The fabulous fireflies are infinitely charming and very useful. They destroy many pests. The most predatory are their larvae, which attack even snails, caterpillars and worms.

How to provide them with an attractive habitat?

The larvae prefer undisturbed soil, so they will like perennials, as well as permaculture and no-till gardens. A good idea are permanent beds with permanent paths. The paths, whether mulched with wood chips or sown with clover, will provide the necessary habitat for many beneficial insects.

Bees

Bees are an undisputed favorite for any garden. We all know their importance when it comes to pollination. Go for the local plants - they are far more attractive to bees than exotic flowers. It is good to have flowering species from early spring to late autumn if you want a constant presence of bees in your garden.

Dragonflies

Talking about insects adored by children? Dragonflies compete with the ladybirds for the first place in this contest. Apart from being beautiful, these little "helicopters" work in your garden as hunters of aphids, flies, mosquitoes and will help you manage the wasp population if it gets out of control.

Braconid Wasps

Braconid wasps are extremely successful with eliminating pests on your plants, which automatically assigns them to the list of beneficial insects. The wasp lays its eggs inside of the host insect and it becomes food for the larvae. In addition, adults eat aphids, moths, caterpillars, beetles and flies.

They are attracted by dill, parsley, wild carrot.

Tachinid Flies

Tachinid flies work in a similar way. These little flies lay their eggs in the host, or sometimes  the host eats the eggs, and the hatched larvae feed on the victim. In many countries, these insects are widely used for bioprotection. They deal with pests such as the gypsy moths, cabbage loopers, Japanese beetles, armyworms, cutworms, sawflies, squash bugs.

Tachinid flies also help with pollination in the garden.

They are searching for plants such as dill, mint, sage, thyme, lavender.

Hoverflies

Often confused with bees or wasps because of their color, hoverflies are useful helpers in the garden. Adults feed mainly on nectar and pollen, which also mean they are good in plant pollination. The larvae feed on aphids, scale insects, thrips, caterpillars and others.

They are more picky in their choice of "favorite flowers" and are attracted to only some specific plants. If you grow yarrow and dill, you will be able to attract this type of fly in your garden.

Mealybug Ladybirds (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri)

They have the typical shape of a ladybird, but are small, mostly dark brown and have no spots. Adults and larvae of these insects feed on various pests, mainly mealybugs.

If you plant dill, fennel, sunflower or goldenrod, you will attract mealybug ladybirds and you can drive the mealybugs out of your garden.

Spiders

Spiders, although often startling children, are also very useful in the garden. They catch aphids, caterpillars, moths, flies, mosquitoes and ticks, including their larvae. Therefore, do not rush to remove the nets that are stretched between the plants. You can even invite your children to meet these beautiful lace-makers and together enjoy the dewdrops that linger on the fine threads.

Earthworms

Last but not least, of course, come earthworms as crucial helpers for growing rich and fertile soil. They feed on the biological waste, thus tidying and enriching the soil at the same time. The movements of earthworms raise nutrients from the deep layers of the soil to the surface, and by digging their tunnels they aerate it. They provide the finest tillage to the soil that cannot be replaced with any other methods.

This, of course, is not the full list of beneficial insects. There are so many of themand this is a wonderful fact, because garden work is endless and help is always welcome. Even if you are not the biggest bug enthusiast, make peace with bugs, and give them their rightful place in the garden.