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   Gardening with nature >> Good bugs are great for gardens

Stop before you spray! The bug you kill could be a friend. Good bugs:

• Eat pests that harm your plants
• Pollinate fruit trees and berries
• Eat plant waste and break it down into fertilizer
• Serve as food for birds and animals that also eat pests
• Aerate and improve your soil.

When you use toxic pesticides, you kill both good bugs and bad. It actually gives the bad guys a helping hand because they usually reproduce faster. And that means you will have to work even harder to control pests in the future.

Learn more about good bugs:

• Stop before you spray
• Bugs and pests (PDF)