Green Daily

Bugs! There are bugs crawling around the flowers and vegetables. Don't panic thinking your beautiful flowers and yummy veggies are about to be nibbled away before you get the chance to enjoy the harvest. Not all bugs in the garden are bad bugs.

Some of the beneficial insects include: Aphid midges, Braconid wasps, Dragonflies, Ground beetles, Lacywings, Lady bugs, Wasps, Rove beetles, and several varieties of flies. Good bugs eat bad bugs, it is the way of nature. To help you identify bugs you want to welcome and the ones you want to chase away, the National Gardening Association publishes photos and general information about bugs in Bug Mugs.

Once you have determined that the bug is not a friend of the garden, what can you do to get rid of the scoundrel? Forget the chemicals. There are non-toxic solutions. Depending on the bug you will be battling, there are homemade traps and sprays.

All Purpose Bug Spray

• Two tablespoons of liquid hot pepper or cayenne
• Few drops of liquid soap
• Water
• One spray bottle

Add pepper and soap to water bottle. Fill with water. Let stand 24 hours. Shake and spray.

Other bug sprays use canola oil or mineral oil. Instead of hot pepper or cayenne, you can try chopped garlic. When adding chopped garlic, the spray will need to be strained before use to remove the garlic. A baking soda formula is sprayed to tend to plants with fungal disease and a milk solution for powdery mildew. Earth Easy has recipes for these sprays and ideas for traps at Natural Garden Pest Control.

Aromatic herbs are offensive to bugs and can effectively deter the little crawling munchers. Many herbs are smelly to bugs. Remember to plant any of your favorite herbs throughout the flower and vegetable garden. And lastly, the best defense against unwanted bugs is a healthy garden.