Who are the 'GOOD GUYS?'

Here's how to look after the beneficial insects and deter the baddies

- LOUISE MIDGLEY

Our gardens support a wide diversity of insects; each having a critical job to perform in the ecosystem. While some are more beneficial than others, we should always encourage a healthy equilibrium of species by avoiding the use of harmful pesticide sprays, which can indiscriminately kill everything.

But which insects do we want to encourage into our gardens, and which should we try and deter? Read our handy guide to help.

THE GOODIES

Ladybirds and their larvae

A well-stocked garden is likely to support several different species of these pretty little beetles. Both the adults and their young are fierce predators of common garden pests, such as blackfly, whitefly and red spider mite. The dark greyish/ black larvae have elongated bodies with three pairs of legs and orange markings. A small group will happily munch their way through hundreds of aphids a day.