3 Beneficial Insects and How to Attract Them to Your Yard

Wouldn't it be great if chemical pesticides only killed the bad bugs in your garden? If that's the case, most experts won't hesitate to recommend them once in a while.

The sad truth is that chemical insecticides will also kill the beneficial insects that allow you to maintain a large lawn or garden. Natural predators of garden pests, which frequently make our days in the garden miserable, are these helpful insects.

However, some people get confused about which one is beneficial and which one is harmful. So this article will introduce you to three pests that you don't want to get rid of because they work for you!

Three useful garden predators

spiders

pray.

ladybugs

1-Spiders

Spiders eat hundreds of tons of insects a year, so don't panic when you see one - just let them get rid of some insects in your garden. Since most spiders complete their life cycle within a year, it's best to leave them alone.

Most spiders are harmless to humans.

Forget all the scary things you've read in books and seen in movies about spiders. Yes, spiders have a lot of hairy eyes and legs, but most of them are harmless to us. Thanks to many great photographers with very close lenses, we can see them up close, which can be a terrifying sight. These images can make even the smallest spider look like a creature out of a science fiction movie.

In your yard, however, spiders are your friends (except for black widows or gray recluses—you'll want to stay away from them). Most of the 4,000 species of spiders in the United States are just looking for an insect to eat.

Common garden insects eat spiders.

aphids

trips

Larva

Cucumber beet

bees

Leaf shoppers

locust

Spiders will do everything they can to keep the number of garden pests to a minimum and will get to work as soon as the pests appear.

How to attract spiders to your garden

Spiders are easy to attract if you are a gardener who loves flowers and vegetables. However, spiders will come if you have a lot of insects in your garden.

Leave pest control to spiders and avoid spraying hazardous chemicals that can contaminate soil, water, grass and other plants and be toxic to birds, fish, beneficial insects and non-target plants.

2-Praying Mantis

The praying mantis gets its name from the way it flexes its front legs in a "praying" motion, but luckily for us it has a big appetite and is just a sedentary gardener.

The mantis is the only known insect that turns its head and looks over its shoulder. As a result, the mantis will blend in well with its surroundings, making it easier to pursue and kill insects below.

Disadvantages of praying in the yard

The only downside I've found is that they will also kill hummingbirds (so if you see one near a hummingbird feeder, you should move it to another part of your yard). They don't discriminate. They will also eat many beneficial insects. However, I still love praying mantises in my yard, because they are charming bug finds.

A praying mantis may kill animals three times its size, such as snakes, rodents, or tiny turtles, but if you treat it properly, it won't hurt you.

Mantises will also hunt each other.

How to attract a praying mantis

Rose and mulberry plants are lovely for praying, but they also seek out tall grasses and shrubs that provide shelter from predators—frogs, bats, monkeys, large birds, spiders, and snakes.

3-Ladybugs

What don't you love about ladybugs in your yard? The larvae and adult beetles feed on the young insects, consuming about 40-50 aphids per hour. They do all this without harming your garden or your plants.

Common garden insects eat ladybugs.

aphids

beetle larvae;

size

spiders

Other insects are soft-bodied

Many people do not recognize beetles in their larval stage because they do not look like beetles. Instead, they look like caterpillars with black and orange spots or prominent spiny spines. Please get rid of them when you see one as they will soon become the most recognizable pest.

Another thing to avoid is destroying any beetle eggs that you may see. The eggs are yellow and laid in groups of about 15-30 under the leaves, so they are protected from predators and the weather. The images above show the four stages of a beetle's life cycle. Learn to identify them, so as not to accidentally destroy them.

How to Attract Ladybugs

The simplest method to get ladybugs is to buy them online or through a plant nursery, however you can try producing your own. If you do buy them, avoid releasing them too early in the season as they will either fly away or starve to death.

If you buy them online, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Then leave it in the late evening during the dew, and if there is no dew, spray it before leaving your garden. Instead of tossing them in the air, gently place them on the ground at the base of the plants you're trying to protect. Usually they climb to the nearest plant and search for food.