Five bugs that are good for your garden

Spring-like weather has finally arrived in the Richmond-metro area, and nurseries and home improvement stores are filled with row upon row of early flowers and vegetables, ready for planting in a favorite garden spot or planter.

Before anyone decides to grab a container or two of insect-repellent, give some thought to how we can become better stewards of our environment. There are at least a million species of insects in the world, but only a handful are actually garden pests. Surprisingly, at least half of all insects are predators or parasites to other insects.

Using the natural world to control garden pests has been going for centuries. By refraining from using toxic chemicals in the garden, people will find they are actually helping the environment. A wide variety of flowering plants and songbirds wouldn’t exist without insects. “A number of different insects pollinate plants and many are an important protein source for birds,” notes Brian Kunkel, an entomologist with the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.

We will be looking at five beneficial insects that should be welcomed in all our gardens. The insects will be familiar, and most people will recognize them. So let's get started.