Occasionally certain insects may not actually harm your garden. Some of them are garden keepers who keep other harmful insects away.
• Beneficial Insects for Gardens
Few like beetles and centipedes get attracted to the garden ground cover for survival. Millipedes are those that come with a thousand legs, brownish shade, elongated creatures with many body segments. Centipedes, on the other hand, are elongated creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. Beetles with four legs are also good for your garden. Some other beneficial insects for gardens are Aphid Midge, Damsel Bugs, Ladybugs, Lacewings, and Tachinid Flies.
• Why Insects?
Sometimes, plants need beneficial insects to keep up their beauty and productivity. Some of the plants that love to attract insects are Marigold, Bee Balm, Dill, Fennel, Caraway, Tansy, and Dandelion. Beneficial insects have the tendency to survive in the garden without harming the plants. They, in fact, kill those insects that may cause damage to the plants. These beneficial insects can be attracted using the right kind of ground cover and ground plants.
• How to Preserve Them
Beneficial insects can be collected by digging the soil. However, make sure that you do not damage the plants. To prevent such garden friendly beetles from drowning, add gravel on the ground or at the edge. They also glow naturally to light up the garden at night. Solar path lights are a good choice to attract these pest-killing beetles.
Lure some beneficial insects to your garden: Add some insect attracting plants in your garden surrounded by mulch cover. They prefer staying under mulch shade. Ground beetles help to keep away slugs, caterpillars, corn earworms, cutworms and other types of insects that harm leaves, stems and roots of plants. Beneficial insects such as Aphid Midge, Damsel Bugs, Lady Beetles, Lacewings and Tachinid Flies can be drawn to safeguard your garden.
Insects with both good and bad qualities: Centipedes are elongated species that live in the damp soil. Though they are not predators, sometimes they do attack the underground stems or roots of small plants. They are found in the dark, damp places under mulch, logs and stones. During the day, they hide in dark and damp areas and during the night they come out to eat. For gardeners, Centipedes are beneficial because they feed on cockroaches, flies and other small household pests.
• The Best Way to Attract Them
For attracting ground beetles, two things that are essential are water and good garden ground cover. The ground cover can be made of mulch, stones or bricks under which they find a safe hideout place. Ground beetles love mulch. You might have often seen them running out when you start weed cleaning. To attract ground beetles or other beneficial insects, one can simply keep the garden mulched with beautiful perennial ground plants and added standard water in dry weather. However, beetles are very sensitive, and use of pesticides could risk their lives. You can collect ground beetles from the wood pile or rotting logs and release in your garden for them to do the job.
Also Read: How Can You Create Your Own Mulch?
So, make your own garden ground cover with the right kind of mulch and plants, and create the perfect atmosphere for beetles and other beneficial insects, allowing them to come into your garden and help it thrive!
