There are good and bad garden insects, and it is important for you to identify them so that you know which insects you should encourage and which ones should be eliminated from your garden.
However, some of the so-called bad insects are also food for the good ones, so you need to make sure that you do not get rid of all the food sources for the beneficial insects.
However, most gardens have an outbreak of pests at some time or the other.
The most you can do is take preventive measures so that you can have nearly pest-free flowers and vegetables thriving in your garden.
Most of the insects found in a garden help in pollination.
Also, crawling insects like earthworms and centipedes help to aerate the soil; while insect droppings and the dead insects help to improve the fertility of the soil.
Usually the beneficial insects help to keep the number of pests down by eating them.
There are three basic types of garden pests, and they are as follows: Soil insects: They are pests that live on seeds sown in the ground or on vegetables that are tender and soft.
They usually tend to attack root vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
Examples of these insects are white grubs, slugs, mole crickets and cutworms.
Sucking insects: They are the ones that use their sharp proboscis to pierce the skin of the plant and suck its sap.
As a result the plant turn yellow, it may wilt, become stunted or get deformed.
Insects like aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, squash bugs and stinkbugs are good examples of this type of insects.
Chewing insects: These insects wreak the maximum damage in your garden.
They chew off leaves, fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Leaf miners webworms, Colorado potato beetles, tomato hornworm, different types of caterpillars and cabbage loopers are some examples of chewing insects.
Make sure you inspect your garden on a regular basis to see whether any insects are attacking the plants.
Also, try growing plants that pests do not find very tempting.
You can get information of such plants from the local nursery.
Plow and till the soil regularly to bring the soil insects to the surface so that birds can have a feast.
Make sure that you use a good organic fertilizer and water your plants sufficiently to keep them healthy.
Invariably healthy plants are at a lower risk of getting attacked by pests.
Also, by cleaning and removing dead fruits and vegetables and other debris from your garden, you can keep pests away.
Do not use insecticides indiscriminately.
Instead opt for ones that specifically target certain pests.
This way you will encourage the growth of beneficial insects, who, in turn, will keep the numbers of other pests down.
Certain pests attack only specific plants.
Therefore, go for plant rotation so that these pests are forced to find another feeding ground.
However, some of the so-called bad insects are also food for the good ones, so you need to make sure that you do not get rid of all the food sources for the beneficial insects.
However, most gardens have an outbreak of pests at some time or the other.
The most you can do is take preventive measures so that you can have nearly pest-free flowers and vegetables thriving in your garden.
Most of the insects found in a garden help in pollination.
Also, crawling insects like earthworms and centipedes help to aerate the soil; while insect droppings and the dead insects help to improve the fertility of the soil.
Usually the beneficial insects help to keep the number of pests down by eating them.
There are three basic types of garden pests, and they are as follows: Soil insects: They are pests that live on seeds sown in the ground or on vegetables that are tender and soft.
They usually tend to attack root vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
Examples of these insects are white grubs, slugs, mole crickets and cutworms.
Sucking insects: They are the ones that use their sharp proboscis to pierce the skin of the plant and suck its sap.
As a result the plant turn yellow, it may wilt, become stunted or get deformed.
Insects like aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, squash bugs and stinkbugs are good examples of this type of insects.
Chewing insects: These insects wreak the maximum damage in your garden.
They chew off leaves, fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Leaf miners webworms, Colorado potato beetles, tomato hornworm, different types of caterpillars and cabbage loopers are some examples of chewing insects.
Make sure you inspect your garden on a regular basis to see whether any insects are attacking the plants.
Also, try growing plants that pests do not find very tempting.
You can get information of such plants from the local nursery.
Plow and till the soil regularly to bring the soil insects to the surface so that birds can have a feast.
Make sure that you use a good organic fertilizer and water your plants sufficiently to keep them healthy.
Invariably healthy plants are at a lower risk of getting attacked by pests.
Also, by cleaning and removing dead fruits and vegetables and other debris from your garden, you can keep pests away.
Do not use insecticides indiscriminately.
Instead opt for ones that specifically target certain pests.
This way you will encourage the growth of beneficial insects, who, in turn, will keep the numbers of other pests down.
Certain pests attack only specific plants.
Therefore, go for plant rotation so that these pests are forced to find another feeding ground.