MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Insects in your flower and vegetable gardens can be quite the pests, though some can also be helpful.

Holly Wagner talked with Susie Bachman of Bachman’s Floral & Garden Center to get answers to your questions about bugs.

One common type of pest Bachman noted is the “army worm” or “tent caterpillar.” The fuzzy garden residents are big right now, Bachman says, and are feeding on deciduous trees.

Another frequent visitor is the common earthworm, which Bachman says is actually a helpful presence.

“They feed on the thatch in your soil, and their excrement actually provides fertilizer for your lawn,” said Bachman.

One major nuisance for many is the box elder bug, but Bachman assures they aren’t actually a threat to your garden.

Slugs, on the other hand, can come out after rainstorms and really do a number on your plants, leaving big holes in their wake.

Bachman said there are a few pesticides that you can consider using for unwanted invaders.

One is bacillus thuringiensis (BT or Thuricide), which is deadly to caterpillars but doesn’t affect humans at all.

You can keep box elder bugs out of your siding with a product like Buggslayer.

And diatomaceous earth, which is made from crushed diatoms, will keep slugs and nightcrawlers at bay.