Beneficial Garden Bugs

"It's really important to start learning what insects are your allies in the garden and how to attract them," remarks Marie Iannotti. In this blog post, About.com's Gardening Guide links to five of her best resources on beneficial garden bugs.

Especially interesting is her article on the "10 Good Guy Insects," in which she identifies beneficial garden bugs, using pictures. This one's a good read even if you're more of a nature-lover than a gardener: some of the beneficial garden bugs identified have names that will make you laugh, such as:

• "Assassin bugs"
• "Minute Pirate Bugs"
• "Big-Eyed Bugs"

Besides help with identification, you'll find tips in Marie's resources for attracting beneficial garden bugs to your yard.