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Best Bugs (The Beneficials)
by Wil Wood

Your dream garden may consist of beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables clean of any signs of life--but a dream like that is not how a garden grows. In fact, Trendy Environmental Warrior, if you want a green organic garden you will need these very helpful insects.

A lady in waiting. The Lady Beetle (better known as the ladybug) is a beautiful addition to any garden. She loves to sink her teeth into the nasty aphids that will devour your garden. When she has had her fill, she covers your aphid-infested plants with 1,000 eggs...if you give her babies some time, your aphid problem will be no more.
The hidden prophet. Praying Mantises are like the ninjas of your garden. They mimic leaves, sticks, and flowers--and then they wait. Soon any bug foolish enough to step into your garden will become a delicious dinner for this hidden warrior. Just be warned, these guys have no problem eating your other beneficial bugs.
Lion of the yellow jungle. Green Lacewings will flock to gardens covered in yellow plants, such as coreopsis, dill, and dandelions. The lacewing loves pollen and nectar; but their larvae love the taste of mites, caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects.
The false bee. Hoverflies are easy to confuse with bees and wasp. These yellow and black stripped insects do just as much pollinating--only without the stinging. However, like lacewings, their larvae love to make a meal out of disease caring pests like aphids and leafhoppers. So bring in the hoverfly with the gift of parsley or chamomile and say goodbye to your pest problem.
Warriors underfoot. Ground beetles...those giant flightless insects that hide under the rocks in your garden are specialized killers. Each beetle family loves to munch on certain food--generally a type of caterpillar. But keep in mind with 2,000 different species in North America alone, not every ground beetle is a member of your army.
The smelly pig. Stink bugs, I am sure most of us have had a memory or two of these predators letting out their scent. But their piggish ways can be a blessing, as they will devour any caterpillar problem you may have. Keep in mind, occasionally a breed of stinkbug will go after your plants not your pests.
Deadly Damsel. Damsel bugs are small in stature and big on appetite. Hidden in plain sight, this damsel will use her oversized eyes to find a meal consisting of cabbage worms and lygus bugs (Which will let your strawberries breath a little easier)
An unusual wasp. Parasitic Wasps are too small to sting you, but not too small to hurt the army of caterpillars invading your garden. While they fly past you unnoticed, their victims remain paralyzed suffering a horrible fate, as inside new parasitic wasps are born surrounded by a wonderful meal.
There be pirates about! How could I even think about doing this list without mentioning the minute pirate bug? Most will go unnoticed due their size, but every landlubbers garden should welcome the Minute as they will take care of any mites and aphids you may be worried about

The round up. Beneficial Bugs are pollinators (Bees) or predators (Spiders) and yes, they sting, they bite, and they fly around your head and drive you mad. But they are part of (Lion King Reference) The Circle of Life. It is natural and organic to let life live in your garden as oppose to killing everyone in hopes of having the perfect vegetation.

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