Bugs, that is! Anyone who has gardened for a while has encountered their share of bugs in the garden. Some are instantly recognizable, like the ladybug, and others are head-scratchingly unfamiliar. Just last week I saw a ton of tiny bugs in my new vegetable garden and I thought they were baby ladybugs—only to find out that they were burrower bug nymphs, which aren’t exactly the garden do-gooders that ladybugs are! Before reaching for bug spray or pesticides, figure out what kind of bug you have—not all of them are bad!Most of us recognize the ladybug—or ladybeetle—and know that it’s a “good” bug in the garden. What makes it good? They feed primarily on aphids, which are infamous for their garden shenanigans. If aphids are in short supply, ladybugs will be happy munching on the eggs of mites, thrips, moths, beetles and other small insects. The more ladybugs you have in your garden, the better—to attract them, plant herbs from the mint and dill families, flowers from the daisy family and provide a shallow bowl of water for a cool drink.You might not see this bug unless you are digging in the soil—these nasty-looking things are called grubs and they are some of the worst offenders in the garden! They typically eat the roots of plants and grass, so if you see your lawn or prized plants dying, try pulling them up and inspecting the roots. If the roots are gone or noticeably absent, look for grubs. Now, most gardens have grubs, and you can live with a few without needing to treat for them. If you have more than 6-8 in a hole that’s a foot wide and deep, then you’ve got an infestation and need to go to war. Treat in the fall to prevent spring infestation, but if you have a problem in the spring there are a number of different products to use to get rid of them. Check with your local extension office or trusted nursery for recommendations. One caveat—these are small grubs, typically 1” long—if you see any super big ones (very fat and 2” long), those are good grubs! They aerate the soil and do no damage.Now for the ugly—praying mantis, anyone? Yes, they are fascinating insects, but there’s no denying that they are prehistorically awful-looking. But more specifically, are they good or bad? The answer is: neither. And both. They’re predatory insects and will eat most things that happen to saunter by. So if you’re having a tomato horn worm infestation, you’ll be happy that your friend the mantis will make quick work of devouring them—but beware that it will also go after our little friend the ladybug as well! Mantises usually don’t present an overwhelming problem in the garden, so you can feel good just leaving them alone.

~Jenny Peterson