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One of my favorite things to do is spend time in my garden. But when it comes to battling those pesky garden pests, here’s how you can Do Your Part to make gardening easier for you and easy on the planet.

My best piece of advice is to remember that not all bugs are bad. There are many beneficial bugs which eat those unwanted pests that destroy the plants in your garden.

Ladybugs are one such beneficial bug. These dainty little creatures can devour 5,000 aphids in less than a year! Aphids love to feed on the new growth of many things in your garden. So, if you want them gone, release ladybugs into your garden.

It’s best to release ladybugs at dusk when fewer of them will fly away. It’s also smart to water the plants with the aphid infestation. The ladybugs will go there first for a drink before looking for food and then stay for the meal.

The Praying Mantis is another beneficial bug for your garden. They eat flies, mosquitoes, spiders, aphids and leafhoppers. They’re also entertaining to watch! Spring is the time to put their eggs in your garden to hatch but be warned; a single praying mantis egg can yield hundreds of mantids!

You can buy both ladybugs and praying mantis eggs at smaller, local garden centers or even online.

By using bugs to do the dirty work for you, you’ll be keeping pests out of your yard and you’ll also be keeping those toxic chemicals away too. It’s another easy and affordable way to Do Your Part while enjoying your little slice of heaven.