Not all bugs you encounter need to be eradicated immediately. Some insects are regularly mistaken for each other, and one is normally good and should be encouraged, whilst the other should be sent packing. When it comes to residential pest control in London, or any region of the UK in fact, it is important to know which insects to encourage in your garden and which one to eradicate. Here are some good bugs and bad bugs, plus some ways to control the unwanted ones the natural way.

Earwigs

Here’s our token bad bug! You need to know what’s destroying your garden.

Earwigs are stretched out, flat, and love moist and dark places. They also have forcep-like pincers, which distinguishes them from rove beetles. Earwigs love to dine on our most beautiful garden flowers, like roses and marigolds. They also enjoy entering your home. In your house, there may be a plethora of dark moist places for them to hide. Although they aren’t poisonous, they can bite you and you will get a really nasty little nip. Because of this, it’s best to keep them away. To discourage them from appearing in your garden, clean your garden litter like fallen leaves and grass cuttings. Also, you should collect all fallen fruit quickly. Repair all cracks and gaps around your home to prevent them from entering.

Ladybirds

Who doesn’t love ladybirds? We are introduced to these super good bugs from a young age through the nursery rhyme, and they are unmistakable with their red wings and black spots. Contrary to popular belief, the spots on their back do not denote their age, but their species type. You should definitely encourage them in your garden because they love eating greenfly.

Rove Beetles

These are a good bug because they feed on all the bad bugs such as mites, mosquitoes and flies. They look very similar to an earwig but are more slender, and they lift up their abdomen like a scorpion when moving. They are around 2cm long and are a grey or brownish colour. They love leaf litter and fallen fruit and have short little wings.