Two of the best defenders against pests in your garden don't come in a spray bottle, and you don't have to worry about the environment when you use them, because they are a part of it.  I'm talking about ladybugs and praying mantises.

These bugs are two of nature's finest safeguards against harmful insects in the garden.  In fact, it used to be illegal to kill a praying mantis.  It may still be illegal in some places.  But the cool thing about mantises is that some people even keep them as pets.  

Although praying mantises look vicious when you first see them, they really aren't.  In fact, if you see a praying mantis out in your garden, you can even pick it up.  People have said that they bite, but their jaws are so small that they won't hurt at all.

And we all know about ladybugs – most of us have had one of these little bugs land on us at one time or another.

But these two bugs are so great for gardens that you can even buy them from some gardening shops. So next time you have bugs in your garden, don't reach for an insecticide but go out and get some of nature's finest to take care of the varmints for you.