Not sure which insects are good for your garden, and which ones can be a problem? Here’s a handy guide to distinguishing the good bugs from the bad…

For those new to organic gardening methods, bugs can seem a little scary. However, along with all the garden pests or “bad bugs” that will eat your crops, nature also provides a balance with “good bugs” that help to keep the pests in check, pollinate your crops, and break down waste into nutritious organic matter for your plants.

Even so, with all the different insects out there, it can seem a little overwhelming to think about learning enough about every bug to know whether it is good or bad to have in your garden. However, it doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little practice, you will learn to identify which bugs are pests, and which are valuable and beneficial insects that you want to keep in your garden.

To keep your garden functioning as a healthy and balanced ecosystem, it is important to encourage diversity and include plants that attract beneficial insects to your garden. For example, plants such as fennel, carrots, dill, marigolds, coriander, and zinnias are particularly attractive to beneficial predator insects and pollinators.

The handy visual guide below is a good primer for identifying the good bugs from the pests in your garden:

Source: Fix.com Blog