Not all insects are bad…

As a pest control business, we often get a reputation for wanting to exterminate everything in our path that buzzes, squeaks or flies about. Despite removing unsafe nests and exterminating creatures that cause havoc and have no benefit to the garden, we do appreciate the list of UK insects and creatures that do great things for the garden.

Bees

Surprisingly, we won’t always exterminate a bee’s nest. Unless it causes inconvenience for clients or is a danger to public health, it is recommended that it is left alone as bees have many benefits.

You may have heard that bees are essential to growing crops as they pollinate numerous crops worldwide. More specifically, bees contribute to the pollination of 70 of the top 100 human food crops. This equates to around one in three bites of food being derived from plants that bees have pollinated.

Ladybirds

Whilst few can genuinely say that they are fearful of these adorable spotted creatures of the garden, people often know little about what benefits the ladybird actually brings to their garden and how attracting them can keep plants healthy and alive.

Both the adults and the ladybird larvae feed on soft-body insects and aphids, or what are also known as plant lice, so they are important for keeping garden plants in good nick.

Hoverfly

Also known as flower fly, it is often confused for a wasp or a honey bee. Distinguishable by its hovering ability, the hoverfly targets plant lice that live in hard-to-reach locations such as stem joints and leaf folds of plants.

The larvae of hoverflies often appear in early Spring – much longer before any other helpful insects and are known to support the growth of larger and better strawberries and raspberries – who doesn’t want that!?

Spiders

We can’t stress enough how important spiders are to your garden and vegetable patch. If you don’t like the eight-legged insects and try to get rid of them, you risk a pest outbreak! Whilst we may think the worst of them, the spiders in your garden aren’t poisonous and pose no danger to humans.

In general, if your garden is already populated with various insects, spiders will usually be there already. However, if you fail to spot any, you can attract them by planting straw mulches or perennial plants.

These are just some of the helpful insects out there. There are plenty more that deserve a home in your garden. In addition to eating the pesky pests, they can also provide you with some entertainment as they go about their business. However, if you do spot a nest of an insect that inconveniences you or puts you or the public at risk, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.