How to attract bugs to the yard

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts can do themselves a favour by attracting predatory insects to their yard.

According to helium.com, there are a number of steps you can take to encourage useful bugs to set up home in your green space.

These include letting the lawn become slightly unruly by allowing small flowers such as dandelions, daisies and buttercups to flourish.

Doing so will attract bees, butterflies, ladybugs and lacewings, among other useful insects.

Leaving a small section of the garden untended will also have the same effect, by giving wildflowers and weeds somewhere to grow and predatory bugs a place to call home.

Water features also help attract insects, especially if they have a marsh or bog section to them, the online resource said.

"In fact you may also attract small amphibians, a wider variety of birds and even small mammals into the garden," it added.

Meanwhile, 9news.com recently suggested that gardeners who grow their vegetables "waffle-style" should find they are more successful.