Bugs.
For too long, our (sometimes) creepy insect brethren have gotten a bad rap in the gardening world. While pesty invaders like potato beetles and slugs can make your life miserable, not all crawly creatures are created equal. In fact, some are your garden’s best line of defense—and they work for free.
Did you know that certain insect species can improve soil quality and assist with organic pest control? Sign me up! Let’s dig into the world of beneficial bugs and explore the allies every garden and farm should welcome.
Insect Soil Builders & Decomposers
When we talk seriously about gardening, we usually start at the fundamentals—literally, from the soil up. One of the best ways to build strong, living soil is with insects that aerate, break down organic matter, and feed the ecosystem from below.
Ground Beetles
Powerful bugs with mighty jaws. Pests, you’ve been warned.
How they help: Ground beetles eat nearly any soil-dwelling pest, including cutworms, maggots, and slugs. Their constant movement also helps break up compacted soil.
Rove Beetles
Scavenger baddies lurking under rocks and leaf litter.
How they help: Though they might look intimidating (and some species sting), rove beetles are pest-devouring machines. They target slugs, root maggots, and fly larvae, and they’re also excellent decomposers in compost systems.
Earthworms
Technically not insects, but soil superheroes just the same.
How they help: Earthworms are grouped by how they live: litter-dwellers stay close to the surface; mineral soil-dwellers live in nutrient-rich topsoil; and deep soil-dwellers (like nightcrawlers) create tunnels deep into the earth. Together, they aerate, enrich, and improve soil tilth. For a thriving worm population, adopt a no-till approach. According to USDA findings, reduced soil disturbance significantly boosts worm numbers and overall soil health.
Pollinators in Your Garden
It’s estimated that 25%–75% of flowering plants rely on pollinators. From vegetables and fruit trees to wildflowers and native shrubs, your entire ecosystem benefits from these insects’ tireless work. Unfortunately, many pollinators are in decline due to habitat loss, chemical exposure, and climate change. That means our gardens need to become safe havens.
Bees
Bees are not just important for your garden—they’re essential for life on Earth.
From native mason bees to hardworking honeybees, these fuzzy fliers are responsible for pollinating a huge percentage of our food crops. Supporting bees means planting plenty of nectar-rich flowers (especially native varieties), reducing pesticide use, and offering bee houses or bare ground for nesting.
Native bees like bumblebees, sweat bees, and leafcutter bees are often more efficient pollinators than honeybees. And bonus: they don’t require hives or much human care to thrive in your garden.
Butterflies
While butterflies may not pollinate as efficiently as bees, they add beauty, biodiversity, and ecological balance to the landscape.
To attract them, grow host plants for caterpillars (like milkweed for monarchs or parsley and dill for swallowtails) and nectar plants such as zinnias, bee balm, and echinacea. Avoid using chemical sprays, especially during bloom times.
Moths
These frequent flyers of the night garden are surprisingly effective pollinators.
Varieties like the hummingbird moth and American ermine moth are important pollinators in North Carolina—and often more efficient than their daytime counterparts. While NC is home to around 170 butterfly species, there are over 2,500 species of moths. Mighty moths for the win!
Beetles
Yes—beetles! I’ll admit, I was today years old when I learned that beetles are pollinators.
While not as flashy as bees or butterflies, beetles are ancient pollinators, especially for prehistoric plants like magnolias and spicebush. They might bumble around and chew on petals, but they’re spreading pollen all the while.
Natural Pest Control: Your Secret Weapon
The smarter way to garden is by letting nature do the heavy lifting. A thriving population of predator insects can dramatically reduce your need for sprays or hand-picking pests.
Ladybugs
Let’s be clear: native ladybugs are what you want here—not the invasive species that swarm your home.
Native ladybugs can eat hundreds of aphids a day, and they’re most effective in their larvae stage (which looks a little more like a tiny alligator than the cute red-and-black adult version). Releasing adult ladybugs can help, especially if they stay to lay eggs and establish a population.
Tip: We stock native ladybugs at our storefront during key gardening weeks—call or stop by to check availability.
Lacewings
You’ve probably seen these delicate green or brown “helicopter bugs” as my children call them, and not realized their superpowers.
Lacewings are quiet workhorses that devour aphids, spider mites, potato beetles, and cabbage worms. Their larvae are particularly voracious. We offer green lacewing eggs seasonally, and only for a short time! Be sure to follow us on our social media for updates on these interesting insects. Watching the grow is a unique experience.
Nematodes
These microscopic roundworms might not win a beauty contest, but they’re among the most powerful pest control tools in your soil.
There are three primary beneficial nematodes used in gardening:
- Steinernema feltiae – Targets fungus gnat larvae and other soil pests
- Steinernema carpocapsae – Excellent for cutworms, grubs, and caterpillars
- Heterorhabditis bacteriophora – Great for root maggots and beetle larvae
- Apply with water during early morning or evening when soil temperatures are between 55–85°F. Keep soil moist after application for best results.
How to Encourage Beneficial Insects
Want more bugs doing the right kind of work in your garden? Here’s how to make your space welcoming:
- Use organic matter to build your soil
- Ditch chemical pesticides
- Keep garden beds moist and mulched
- Turn off outdoor lights at night
- Plant wildflowers and flowering herbs
- Practice no-till or minimal tilling
- Let some areas grow a little wild
- Install bug hotels or bee houses
- Plant native species whenever possible
- Encourage neighbors to do the same and have a talk with those in your community.
When you create a biodiverse, pollinator-friendly, pesticide-free zone, beneficial bugs will show up, and stay. Leave a comment and let me know what beneficial bugs you're adding to your garden this year!