Oftentimes, our first instinct when we see an insect crawling across the floor is to grab the nearest shoe and get rid of the little guy. However, sometimes, this might be doing you a disservice; a lot of the bugs that live in your home and garden are perfectly harmless. Below are some examples of the good guys you might find hanging out in your neighborhood!

Honey Bees & Mason Bees

The bee population has been in a state of rapid decline for over a decade. Without bees, the agricultural food chain will collapse, which is bad news for people and any other creature that needs food to survive. They are often mistaken for their more aggressive and predatory lookalikes, wasps and yellow jackets. A good way to tell the two apart? Wasps and yellow jackets will have shinier abdomens, while honey bees and mason bees are have small hairs. Plus, honeybees and bumblebees will not sting unless they are directly threatened, or their hive is in danger. Mason bees are even less aggressive, as they do not protect their eggs after laying and the male bees do not even possess stingers. So if you see either of these guys buzzing around, just let them pollinate your flowers and do the bee population — and everyone else, for that matter — a favor. If you want to help the bees out a little bit, you can create a bee habitat in your backyard and encourage them to make their home in your garden.

Spiders

While spiders give a lot of people the creeps, most of the time they will leave you alone and eat all the other, less benevolent pests hanging out in your house. Spiders will catch and eat almost any bug that happens to stumble into its clutches, which make them a natural, safe, and free form of pest control. However, not all spiders are created equal; Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders are both found in South Carolina and are capable of delivering a potentially fatal bite. If either of those bite you, seek medical advice. A bite from one of these spiders will be identifiable by its distinct bulls eye-like mark around the bite site. The good news? Since the rise of modern anti-venom, death or even serious illness from a spider bite is almost nonexistent. So when in doubt, just leave the spiders be, and they'll do the same for you!

Lady Bugs

It almost goes without saying that ladybugs are harmless. These polka-dotted bugs don't bite or sting, and they ravenously devour almost every kind of plant-damaging garden bug. Not only do adult ladybugs have a healthy appetite, they also lay their larvae in aphid colonies, and when the baby bugs hatch, they immediately begin to feed on these plant-destroying pests. They are also believed almost universally to be a symbol of good luck, and killing one is said to bring bad fortune. Unless they have completely infested your home, which is a rare occurrence, welcome those ladybugs into your garden!

Praying Mantis

The praying mantis is a formidable looking bug, with two very large eyes, a powerful set of wings, and sometimes measuring up to six inches in length. These are carnivorous bugs, which means they live off of other insects (including other praying mantises) and even occasionally small reptile or birds. They pose absolutely no threat to humans and some even keep them as pets. They are a great form of natural pest control, and like the ladybug are considered to be a sign of good fortune and mindfulness.
While it's easy and understandable to be squeamish and wary around bugs, it's always a good idea to be comfortable with the idea that some of them are harmless and can even be beneficial. Bugs are an important part of our ecosystem and without them, we would not be able to exist the way that we do. It's best to think twice before you squish them!