Friendly Bugs And Insects - Nature's Own Pest Control

By Author: unknownmem
Total Articles: 4
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Quite often people feel uncomfortable seeing bugs or beetles lingering over their flowerbeds and well decorated shrubs and grasses. And the next thing that comes to their mind is getting rid of them with a spray of insecticide. But little do they know that they might be killing a useful predator that keeps their lawn plants and flowers safe from real pests. There are many ways to control pests without using chemical sprays and harmful powders on your delicate plants and flowers. These natural ways are not only safe but also quite interesting.

Nature has its own protection and attacking mechanisms or to be more precise, ‘organisms' that help in keeping its ecosystems well balanced. When one organism is destroyed it becomes food for the other; when animals die they become a source of nutrition for plants and these plants in turn form food for animals. The chain continues in a cyclic path. It is actually human interference that disturbs this natural cyclic rhythm leading to issues like pest attack, diseases and drying plant life.

There are many insects and bugs that feed on other insects during their reproduction ...
... stages. And incidentally by this process they end up protecting their habitat and bio-life in several ways. Some of the common insects and bugs that can help your pest control endeavors are mentioned as follows:

1. Beetles are one of the major pest killers that feed on almost all known insects and pests. There are around 400,000 known species of beetles found in different parts of the world and they form around 40% of all known insect species. Lady beetle or lady bug is a popular pest killer that feeds on aphids, mealybugs, common whiteflies and mites. Then there are ground beetles that prey on pests like caterpillars and snails. Rove beetles, tiger beetles, golden tortoise beetles, thistle tortoise beetles, saltcedar leaf beetle, two-spotted melyrid and thistle-head weevil are some of the other well known garden predators that protect plants, flowers and food crops from most of the harmful pests and insects.

2. Lacewings, coming under neuropteran order are transparent-winged insects we commonly find in our gardens. Right from their larvae stage, they feed on several frequent garden pests. Their common targets are soft-bodied pests and insects.

3. Praying Mantises kill many insects that damage plants and grasses. Although, they are not abundant in population, they are effectual predators wherever they go.
4. Parasitoid wasps and Tachinid flies are known for preying on caterpillars. These insects insert their eggs into the body of caterpillars and these eggs act as a parasite. The larvae develop feeding on and slowly killing the caterpillars over time.

5. Do not kill the hoverflies and spiders found in your gardens. They are also beneficial in killing harmful insects.

All these insects and bugs help you in controlling pests naturally. You can buy these insects or their eggs from different sources.