Garden pests and beneficial bugs

Home and Garden

There are good, bad and ugly bugs that live in your garden. Find out which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of.

PEST: Not only are mosquitoes pesky distractions for gardeners tending to their plants in the summer months, they also can transmit dangerous diseases like the West Nile virus.

BENEFICIAL: Ladybugs are not only beautiful, but they are one of the best bugs to have in your garden. In fact, they are referred to as a "gardener's best friend," due to the fact that in their lifetime, each ladybug can consume up to 5,000 aphids, a common garden pest. They also enjoy munching on mealy bugs and spider mites, which are harmful to gardens.

BENEFICIAL: The well-named big-eyed bugs are grey, black or black and grey. Their prominent eyes are distinctive. They feed on small insects and insect eggs, which help keep pests under control in the garden.

PEST: Ticks are another garden pest that can affect both humans and animals. Spring brings out the ticks and they continue to thrive through the warm months. Precautions should be taken as protection against the pests and the diseases they carry, such as Lyme disease.

PEST: Killer bees (Africanized bees) top the list as most unwanted garden pests. Here, the danger is to the gardener, who may accidentally anger a swarm due to their unusual nesting places.

PEST: More people are stung by fire ants than bees and wasps together according to Bob Vander Meer, lead scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's fire ant bio-control project. Colonies of these aggressive ants have been established in at least 15 states.

BENEFICIAL: If you see pupa on an aphid infested plant, you will know that syrphid flies have been feeding here. These flies help gardeners out by feasting on the common pests known as aphids.

BENEFICIAL: Unlike other forms of stinging wasps, parasitic wasps are very small and rarely seen, but these are very important natural enemies that attack the eggs of pest stink bugs.

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PEST: Not only are mosquitoes pesky distractions for gardeners tending to their plants in the summer months, they also can transmit dangerous diseases like the West Nile virus.

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