By now, you’ve likely heard of all the wonderful things that bees, butterflies, praying mantises, spiders and ladybugs can do for your garden. They pollinate and they eat destructive insects that would leave your roses and vegetables looking like a chewed-up mess.
But have you heard about these lesser-known helpers?
Green Lacewings
Delicate and dainty when full-grown, lacewings have pale green bodies, large eyes, and very delicate, lacey wings that give them their distinctive name. While adults feed mainly on flower nectar, their larvae are voracious eaters of all manner of destructive insects, including aphids, mites, small caterpillars and moth eggs.
Parasitic Wasps
Not to be confused with their larger, striped cousins, this family of wasps is known for its small size and big appetite. They are fearsome predators in the insect world, taking a special delight in devouring aphids and cutworms. Plus, as a side bonus, they’re known to aerate the soil and improve its filtration. So if you see these helpful insects buzzing around your garden, don’t get worried about what they’ve been called, and leave the pesticide alone.
Ground Beetles
These large, black beetles are rather unremarkable to look at, but if you see them in your garden, rejoice! They help speed up the growth of vegetables thanks to their larvae who help to mix in fertilizer with the soil. They also love to feast on cutworms, maggots, flies, aphids and cutworms.
Slaters
They’re known by many names: woodlice, sowbugs, pill bugs, and roly polies. Gently touch them, and they’ll roll up into a tight ball. They thrive in dark, dank areas of your garden and are helpful in breaking down decomposing material while ignoring green plants.
Syrphid Flies
Often they’re mistaken for bees thanks to their black-and-yellow-striped markings, but in actuality, they’re flies. Their maggots are known for feasting on aphids, and the adults become great pollinators for your flowers.
As fence contractors in Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, and the rest of the Milwaukee metro area we’re committed to helping our customers enjoy their lawns, landscapes, and gardens. If a new fence, pergola, or gazebo would contribute to that enjoyment just contact us for a free quote. We’ll be happy to come out and see you!
