Everybody loves seeing colourful butterflies flitting through a flower garden and robins or hummingbirds going about their business throughout the yard.
But what about the not-so-loved creatures who play just as important a role in the garden ecosystem? Bats, bees, toads, frogs, snakes and spiders, though unappealing to many people, are crucial to maintaining a healthy garden environment.
* Bees are feared by many but they are the most important pollinators for fruit and seed prod-uction. Bees will become aggressive if their nest is disturbed, but if you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.
* Toads and frogs prey on rodents and insects. They also help control slugs and earwigs
* Garter snakes feed on slugs, frogs, earthworms and mice.
* Bats are important for controlling mosquitoes, moths and beetles.
* Earthworms have an important role in the garden ecosystem. They break down organic waste and their tunnels aerate the soil.
* Spiders trap many insects in their sticky webs.
Pesticide use is especially harmful to creatures such as frogs and toads. Pesticides may be effective at destroying harmful pests, but they also destroy or harm beneficial creatures.
It is important to develop a tolerance for the presence of insects in small numbers. A few harmful insects on a plant won't kill a plant.
Here are some pest-control methods that won't harm other insects or creatures in your garden:
* If there are large numbers of harmful insects, such as Japanese beetles, gently shake them off the plant into a bucket of soapy water.
* A strong direct spray of water at aphids will knock them off plants.
* Insects concentrated in one area on a plant, such as tent caterpillars, can be pruned out and destroyed.
You can go one step farther and provide shelters for toads, such as a clay pot turned on its side, and bat-or birdhouses.
Planting native plants will provide preferred shelter and food necessary for these beneficial creatures to thrive. Adding a water source, such as a bird bath or pond, will make your yard even more attractive to nature's creatures.
There is so much more going on in your garden than meets the eye. Thousands of different insects live in the soil alone.
Giving creatures their place in your yard will help you develop a better awareness of the complex processes taking place in the ecosystem you call your garden. Your plants and soil will be healthier and more vibrant.
After all, Mother Nature has been gardening for thousands of years -- she knows what she's doing.
