When it comes to maintaining orchard health, many people automatically associate the presence of insects with the danger of pests. Although people tend to feel a certain rejection or apathy towards these animals, there is no need to be in a hurry to resort to insecticide.
This, in fact, should always be the last option, and as long as the crop is not in danger, sharing with nature can bring us great benefits in the long run, especially when it comes to certain species. Beneficial insects for the garden are mainly classified into two types: those that fulfill the function of predators of harmful insects, thus acting as natural pest control, and those that are pollinating insects, favoring the fertilization of plants in our garden. The proper use of these allies has a great impact on the health of the crop, keeping pests at bay and improving the conditions of the plants without resorting to chemicals. Do you want to learn more about the beneficial insects for the garden? Join us in this EcologíaVerde article.
ladybugs
With over 4,000 species of ladybugs, this cute looking insect is one of the best known beneficial insects for the garden. It is important to learn to recognize the eggs and larvae of ladybugs so as not to damage them, as they are voracious predators that are especially skilled at devouring and hunting pests such as aphids and cochineal. They do no harm to the garden and, from the time they are larvae, they will spend their entire year feeding on pests with a ferocity deceptive to the cheerful appearance of their shell.
If you have problems with these pests, in addition to introducing ladybugs to your garden, we recommend these Home remedies to eliminate aphids on plants and this other article on Eliminate the cottony mealybug: treatment and home remedies.
wasps
Wasps can be much more than a stinging hazard and a call to panic for more than one. Depending on the species, they can act as pollinators or as pest control, being both predators of eggs and larvae and insects that parasitize their prey with their eggs. They are much less threatening than you tend to think and can be great allies against pests.
Learn more about what wasps are for in this other article.
praying mantis
The mantis is one of the world’s largest predators of insects. Their slender body and quick, graceful movements make them easily recognizable and very eye-catching. Their great ability and size allow them to feed on all kinds of insects, from larvae to caterpillars, moths and beetles.
Here we clarify a common doubt about these insects: Is the praying mantis poisonous?
Bedbugs
Not all bed bugs are a danger to humans or pets: some feed exclusively on other insects or mites. the feared aphids and whitefly They are one of their favorite prey and they give a good account of both the adult specimens and their eggs and larvae, using their maxillary stylet to feed.
If you have problems with these pests, here we will tell you more about how to eliminate whitefly.
garden spiders
species like the tiger spider or the wolf spider, are not insects but arachnids, but we include them as part of the group of “bugs” good for the garden. These spiders are completely harmless to the plants in our garden, although not to the pests that dare to enter their domains. Some hunt using large webs while others rely exclusively on their agility and strength, but in any case they are great allies of cultivation. They should not be confused with the red spider, one of the most common pests, which is actually a mite.
Learn about the importance of spiders by reading this other post.
earwigs
Also called regularly scissor bug, this order of insects is very easy to recognize by the conspicuous scissors that its body seems to have at the end of it. They are one of the few insects that take care of their eggs after laying them. In this case, however, the benefits of earwigs are relative, since they are insects that in some cases are omnivorous, which means that they can go on to feed on plants if they do not find pests to devour. They are, thus, beneficial only in small numbers, and can become a pest in itself.
dragonflies
These unique looking flying insects they feed on insects, locating their prey thanks to their extraordinary sight. Learn above all flies and mosquitoes. They lay their eggs in the water, where they live from a few weeks to several years, after which they live only a few days.
Centipede
The so-called centipedes are, like garden spiders, predators of great effectiveness and voracity in terms of pest control concerned, keeping the population of these at bay in the orchard.
We recommend you learn about Biological Pest Control: what it is, advantages, disadvantages and examples.
lacewings
These small green insects with large wings are also excellent hunters of small pests such as mites, thrips or mealybugs and, therefore, they must be added to the list of beneficial insects for the orchard, garden or terrace with potted plants. Lacewings are recognized by their thin, slender body and antennae.
Firefly
Best known for their bioluminescent ability, fireflies are actually beetles whose larvae they feed on all kinds of subsoil pests. Once adults, they are much less voracious, feeding on pollen and nectar and being able to act as pollinators.
How to attract beneficial insects to the garden
The best way to attract these varied beneficial species is by providing them with a suitable home. In most cases it will suffice to form a hedge around the orchard with plants that attract them, such as rosemary, chamomile, fennel and basil. You can also make them houses yourself to distribute around the garden, something very easy to do with cases such as ladybugs.
To learn about more beneficial insects for the garden, we recommend you discover more Pollinating Insects by reading this other EcologíaVerde article, since these are always allies in orchards, gardens and terraces.
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