Grow a Healthy Garden with Beneficial Bugs

We know the kinds of bugs we don't want in our gardens, like thrips and aphids. They chew leaves, suck sap, discolor plants and even kill them. Fortunately, there are garden good guys — beneficial insects — that keep the troublemakers in check.

Some beneficial bugs prey on destructive bugs, while others break down organic matter or transfer pollen. Attract beneficial insects by growing plants with staggered bloom times. Choose plants rich in pollen and nectar, which many beneficial bugs eat in their adult stage.

These good garden insects will drink water from wet foliage, puddles or shallow bowls of water and take shelter in leaf litter, stacks of wood or stones or clumps of perennials, grasses and other plants.

Don't use insecticides and pesticides that can kill these useful bugs. Browse our "most-wanted" gallery to explore beneficial insects for gardens.

Most adult ladybugs eat aphids, pollen and nectar. Encourage them by growing plants and herbs like chives, marigolds and dill.

Ladybug larvae look like tiny, black alligators. They gobble up aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, soft scales, whiteflies and other soft-bodied pests.

Adult and larval lacewings dine on mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, spider mites and some insect eggs. Female lacewings lay their eggs near an aphid colony. Once they hatch, the lacewing larvae devour aphids. The larvae are so voracious, they're sometimes referred to as "aphid lions." Plants that attract lacewings include fernleaf yarrow, coriander, prairie sunflower and dandelion.

The bodies of assassin bugs can be black, brown, orange or other colors. These helpful bugs devour aphids, flies, caterpillars and the larvae of leaf beetles and sawflies.

Minute pirate bugs feed on many insect pests that attack crops. They also eat thrips, aphids, whiteflies and other insects. Minute pirate bugs will feed on nectar and pollen when insects are not available to eat. Plant flowers that also attract native bees and consider staggering the bloom times of your plantings so these beneficial insects will have a consistent food source and your garden will remain colorful.

Predatory mites eat spider mites, as well as immature thrips, scales and whiteflies. They can be hard to see when they take shelter in leaf litter, organic matter or on hairy foliage.

Snakeflies consume a variety of insects, including mites, beetle grubs, leafhoppers and whiteflies. If handled, they can deliver a painful nip. Snakeflies resemble lacewings but can be identified by a long "neck" resembling a snake's. Both the adults and larvae consume pest insects. The larvae live under decaying matter on the ground or under tree bark.

Some robber flies eat beneficial garden bugs like bees but also feast on pests like grasshoppers, crickets and leafhoppers. One species eats Japanese beetles.

Ground beetles favor a diet of ants, maggots, slugs, worms and aphids. Sometimes they enter homes and other buildings, where they'll feast on household pests like roaches. They can pinch if handled. More than 3,000 kinds of ground beetles can be found in North America, ranging in length from 6 to 30 millimeters. Many will have a solid, shiny black body with hardened and ridged forewings while others have iridescent red, purple or green markings on the forewings.

Soldier beetles snap up aphids, grasshopper eggs, caterpillars and other soft-bodied pests. Attract these firefly relatives with nectar or pollen-bearing plants like milkweeds and goldenrods.

According to University of Wisconsin - Madison research, hoverfly larvae consume up to 400 aphids each. They also prey on thrips, small caterpillars, leafhoppers and mealybugs. The winged adults, also called flower flies, eat nectar, pollen and honeydew, a sugary substance produced by aphids and some other insects.

The larvae of lightning bugs attack snails, slugs and worms. Adult lightning bugs, like this one, are the same as firelies and eat nectar, pollen and even other fireflies.

Dragonflies breed in fresh water, so add a pond to attract them and help control mosquitoes, midges and flies. However, they also eat beneficial bugs like bees and butterflies. Learn how to invite them to your yard.

Praying mantises eat many pests, including mites, thrips, flies, aphids, grubs, leafhoppers and crickets. Like many beneficial bugs for the garden, you can consider ordering them online.

As pollinators, bees are some of the most beneficial insects in gardens. Explore the different kinds of bees and how to attract them. Here's a list of some of our favorite bee-friendly garden flowers.

Some parasitic wasps, like this braconid wasp, kill by laying their eggs on or inside the bodies of other insects such as the hornworm — a common pest of tomato plants. Trichogrammas parasitize the eggs of more than 200 pests. Adults feed on flowers or honeydew.