15 Useful Insects and Creatures for Your Garden (with Pictures)

Many people try to rid their gardens of insects. But many of these little creatures can help the garden.

Yes, some insects are useful. Some pollinate flowers. Others protect plants from pests.

So, it’s vital to know which insects are helpful and which are harmful. This way, you won’t get rid of the good ones.

Here is a list of beneficial insects and other helpful creatures for your garden.

1. Bees

Bees are among the most helpful insects. Many people tend to be terrified of them, but they play a vital role in the growth of many crops.

They are excellent pollinators. Many plants need cross-pollination to thrive, and bees can provide that.

Bright flowers will attract bees. You usually don’t have to do any extraordinary work to get them close.

2. Ladybugs

The adult ladybug (the ladybird or lady beetle) eats mealybugs, aphids, and mites. Its larvae eat even more.

These helpful insects are some of the most visible in the garden. They also have many uses, making their visible presence worth it.

Plant angelica, fennel, marigolds, coreopsis, yarrow, or dill. They will attract ladybugs to your garden.

3. Earthworms

Image via Flickr

Earthworms have some tremendous benefits for your soil. How they move around in the soil helps create air pockets for the plants to breathe.

Moreover, earthworm casts help improve soil fertility [1]. Soil is the foundation of your garden. So, if your soil is healthy, you are one step closer to healthy plants.

Earthworms love organic matter like decaying leaves, rotten logs, and manure piles. A great way to encourage their presence is to mulch with dried leaves or pine needles.

4. Tachinid Fly

Attract the tachinid fly by planting different herbs, such as parsley or dill.

These useful farm insects are small and harmless to your garden but have significant potential. The larvae can attack caterpillars and burrow inside, eventually killing them.

Tachinid flies will also kill other pests, such as grasshoppers and moths.

5. Soldier Beetles

Picture via Stu’s Images

These insects eat aphids, caterpillars, and other soft-bodied pests. Soldier beetles also help with pollination [2].

Plant hydrangeas, catnip, and/or goldenrod to attract these good garden beetles.

6. Minute Pirate Bugs

Minute pirate bugs are great at combating harmful insects. They will go after mites, whiteflies, thrips, and other pests they encounter.

Plant daisies, corn, yarrow, or alfalfa to attract these predatory bugs.

7. Green Lacewing

Little red mites overrun many gardens. However, the green lacewing can reduce them.

Green lacewings feed on mites, whiteflies, caterpillars, insect eggs, aphids, thrips, and leafhoppers.

Moreover, you can purchase them online or at some gardening centers.

These beneficial garden insects also work well with other good insects. They do not prey on them.

Plant cosmos, angelica, sweet alyssum, and coreopsis to attract lacewings to your garden.

8. Wasps

Are wasps useful? Definitely! If you can get past the stinging capabilities of wasps, they are very valuable to your garden.

They eat many garden pests, including mites, aphids, and caterpillar eggs. Besides, wasps assist in pollination.

Wasps (paper wasps, yellow jackets, European hornets, etc.) eat pests that can harm crops.

If flowering plants are around, you will have plenty of wasps in the area.

9. Damsel Bugs

Image via Flickr

These are good bugs for the garden that can eat harmful insects even larger than themselves.

Damsel bugs are most helpful in vegetable gardens. They are bugs that eat aphids and small pests, like caterpillars and thrips.

These helpful bugs tend to stick around if there are nearby flowering plants.

10. Aphid Midge

Photo via gardensdecor.com

The larvae of these small black flies are predators of over 60 species of aphids. They have a very short lifespan, but they reproduce at a rapid rate.

Pollen and nectar plants can attract them to your garden.

Aphid midges are named for their larvae, which eat aphids.

11. Garden Spiders

The garden spider that you see around you may not be dangerous. It can help lower your risk of getting bitten by some annoying pests.

Garden spiders create webs that trap flying insects. They trap and eat mosquitoes, flies, moths, and wasps.

These spiders make webs between taller plants. So, plant corn, sunflowers, and other tall plants to attract them.

12. Ground Beetle

Picture via www.flickr.com

A single ground beetle can consume hundreds of caterpillars [3]. They are most agile at removing pesky critters from the soil.

They aid in combating slugs and snails, wireworms, ants, and even maggots. These helpful beetles are suitable for the garden because they may also eat weed seeds.

Plant red or white clover to help attract them and keep them around.

13. Dragonfly

A dragonfly is highly efficient, as it can consume hundreds of mosquitoes daily, which is fantastic. It also goes after other pests like gnats and biting flies.

Unlike other pests, dragonflies are not creepy. Many people find them beautiful and graceful creatures, so they enjoy their presence.

Place water in or around your garden and yard to keep dragonflies around.

14. Braconid Wasp

Braconid wasps are parasitic on small creatures like caterpillars and aphids.

Their larvae feed inside the host pest, eventually killing it. Plant carrots, yarrow, dill, or parsley to attract them.

15. Spined Soldier Bug

These friendly bugs look like the BMSB. But they have one key difference. They have sharp, acute angles at their shoulders. This feature sets them apart from pesky stink bugs.

In essence, the spined soldier bug is a predatory stink bug. It can help control beetle larvae and hairless caterpillars.

Takeaway

Any organic garden could benefit from having these essential creatures present because they eat many harmful bugs and insects. Plant flowering plants to help attract these good garden bugs.