Chumasande MatiwaneNot all creepy crawlers are welcome in the garden, but some insects are very beneficial to the success of your flowers, herbs and veggies.
Here are six bugs that you should welcome into your garden.
Ladybugs
Considered to be good luck insects, ladybugs are good for your garden as they eat aphids and other plant-eating pests. Ladybugs are sometimes known as the darling of the garden and as aphid-eating insects, they can eat up to 40 aphids every hour which proves beneficial to your garden. To attract these gracious creatures to your garden, grow plants with flat flowers.
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Earthworms
It’s no secret that earthworms are a garden’s best friend. These squirmy invertebrates breathe through their skin, they find oxygen by tunnelling through the soil. With their tunnelling through the soil, their movement also loosens the soil and makes it easier for roots to grow. Earthworms are good to have in gardens because they break down dead and decaying organic matter into rich humus soil, thereby supporting plant growth in your garden.
Bees
A good garden needs pollinators, and bees are one of the best. Having bees in your garden is crucial to the growth of many herbs, vegetables and flowers. To attract bees in your garden, give them plenty of native flowering plants to feast on.
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Praying Mantises
Mantises are eaters of aphids, caterpillars, and mosquitoes but sometimes they can indulge in other beneficial insects like beetles, butterflies, and bees. It is wise to sometimes avoid having them in your garden especially if you have a pollinator garden. It’s a good idea to have them in gardens with a significant pest problem since they’ll have plenty to snack on invader pests.
Ground Beetles
These nocturnal insects dig into the dirt during the day but will come out at night to feast, which makes them especially helpful for tackling pests that are active at night. Beetles can fifty different pests, including snails, nematodes, caterpillars and thrips. These beneficial bugs live in decaying plant matter, so to attract them to your garden, mulch the surface and they’ll happily thrive.
Butterflies
Beautiful, colourful and super beneficial to the well-being of your garden. Certain species of butterflies eat aphids which help to control these pests. They provide an essential service by controlling populations of other animals and insects.
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