Good insects for the vegetable garden/garden? What are they?

In the following GardenWeb article, we will tell you about those little critters that, far from being harmful to our garden or crops, help us keep pests at bay, promote pollination, and improve the quality of our soil. So, before you grab an insecticide or pesticide, identify what kind of visitors you have on your plants, because they might be great allies for your crops and harvest. Keep reading!

Ladybugs (Coccinellidae)

Who hasn't played with ladybugs as a child, those adorable insects with vibrant colors and spots on their shells? Well, besides being beautiful and striking, ladybugs are good insects for our garden as they help us keep other pests like aphids at bay. What's more, if these little creatures don't appear naturally in our garden or urban allotment, they can be bought in specialized stores, and we can learn to raise them ourselves.

Good insects: bees

The fundamental mission of bees (or anthophiles) is to pollinate plants, so we can consider them great allies in our gardens or allotments. Therefore, if we want these insects to approach our plants, we should attract their attention with flowers that are irresistible to them, such as sunflowers. This way, we will ensure they perform their essential functions in our garden.

Are wasps good insects for the garden?

Despite not having the good reputation of bees, wasps are great allies in our garden. The larvae of these insects feed on the larvae of others that cause serious pests in gardens. Therefore, having wasps means keeping cabbage butterfly larvae and undesirable caterpillars at bay.

Other insects good for cultivation

Earwigs (Dermaptera)

Yes, we know, earwigs are not pretty and cuddly like ladybugs. However, it's good to have them around as they mean the end of mealybugs and aphids. Of course, once the pest is under control, it's advisable to get rid of the earwigs. Otherwise, they would start devouring beneficial insects for our garden, which is a long-term problem.

Lacewings

These are insects with transparent wings and greenish bodies that feed on aphids, red mites, thrips, flies, and mealybugs. They also devour other insects such as whiteflies, butterfly eggs, cottony cushion scale, and olive moths, among others. However, it is necessary to control that they themselves do not become a plague and exterminate other good insects.

Praying mantis

This predatory insect, known for killing the male after mating, is a great ally in the garden. Mantises feed on other bugs that can damage plants. Mantises are not very pleasant to look at or have around, but they can be great allies in cleaning up the garden.

However, the presence of insects may not be enough to combat certain pests, so we must be attentive to the needs of our crops. It is also important to have a good substrate and fertilizer that provides our plants with the necessary nutrients to fight and resist these pest attacks.

At Gardenweb, you will find substrates, pots, seed trays, and other essential products to keep your garden/allotment in good condition.

If you want your garden to be well-maintained all year round, at Gardenweb we have more than 1000 gardening products that will make this process easier for you. In our online store, you can find everything from universal substrate to economical production pots. You can also purchase different sizes of seed trays for more delicate crops.

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