Aquaponics - Friend or foe

I'm constantly faced with a dilemma. What to do with the bugs I meet, either within my system, or knocking at the door.

My current policy is to let everyone in except caterpillars, snails, and slugs. What ever they are if I see them, I put them into my growhouse, or at the very least let them stay.

It can get a little tricky when you meet someone like this, and have no idea if the next day, your garden will be totally destroyed, but it keeps things interesting.

I actually think this fellow might be a lacewing larva.

That could be a good thing because I think the grown up version eats aphids.

This policy of mine may well end in disaster, but so far everything seems to be holding to some kind of balance.

In the first few weeks I was nearly over run by aphids. I figured this was because I was basically practising mono-culture in my bug population. The aphids were in plague. Now there is a stack of assorted beasties, and everything seems to have settled down.

The problem with getting rid of the aphids might be that there is nothing left for the predators to eat. I have a feeling, that having a bit of everything might be a better way.

Except caterpillars, snails, and slugs.

I hate caterpillars, snails, and slugs.

They eat too much, and without a mega species like birds, I feel I need to be the caterpillar, snail, and slug predator.

I should get a bird.