by Denise Calaman

Created on: March 03, 2009   Last Updated: October 18, 2010

Each year in the US alone, gardeners spend millions of dollars to get rid of destructive garden pests. However; in recent years more gardeners are choosing to garden organically without the use of harmful pesticides. Some of these organic gardeners may choose to use beneficial insects as a form of pest control. Beneficial insects benefit gardens by acting as all natural pesticides eating destructive, cropping damaging bugs. Here are a few bugs that gardeners consider valuable friends when it comes to the garden:

Ladybugs-

Ladybird beetles, commonly known as ladybugs are perhaps a gardener's best friend. Ladybugs primary food sources are mites and aphids. Mites and aphids are tiny and very destructive to many different garden plants as well as many ornamentals you may have growing in your flower beds. Ladybugs devour these destructive pests. One ladybug can eat up to 30-40 insects per day. Ladybugs are so highly prized to gardeners that they are one of the few insects that may be purchased in bulk through seed catalogs and farm supply stores. Many gardeners are hesitant to purchase ladybugs in bulk because they fear purchased ladybugs will simply fly away. To prevent ladybugs from simply flying away, plant scented herbs around your garden such as tansy, cosmos and angelica. Ladybugs come out of hibernation during the first warm days of spring and will stick around until the first frost.

Mantids-

Praying Mantids arrive in the spring around the same time as ladybugs and are found throughout most of the world. They are voracious eaters. Praying Mantids eat destructive bugs but aren't choosey when it comes to their menus and will eat good bugs as well. They can be recognized by their "praying" and waiting position. They are the only insects that can rotate their heads 180 degrees waiting for a meal to wander by. Praying Mantids can also be purchased from most garden or farm supply stores still in their cases. After purchasing a mantid case simply place it in a shrub 2-3 feet off the ground and in the spring the case will open up and as many as 200 baby mantids will emerge. They look just like adult mantids and are ready to feed immediately. Katydids, lacewings, and walking sticks are closely related to praying mantids and are just as beneficial.

Flies-

Few novice gardeners would recognize a robber fly but once you see one you will not soon forget. Robber flies look like a cross between a dragonfly and a house fly. They can be a bit intimidating the first time

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