What is this pest?

These pests are all over my garden... what are they? can I get rid of them organically? If not, what chemicals are least destructive?

Just because they're all over your garden doesn't necessarily mean they are pests. They might be, but they may also be eating the real pests... I suggest posting in the bug ID forum, even w/ a fuzzy pic, someone may recognize them.

Kinda looks like a lightning bug to me, but it's been years since I saw one and the pic's a little fuzzy so I can't be sure.

thanks ecrane3, I felt like a dummy but it sure looked like a lighting bug to me too. They are plentiful this year. Pretty, like xmas lights when I take my evening walk.

Friends, are they harmful?

Not that I know of...but my only experience with them was as a kid going around the yard catching them in jars and enjoying the show, then letting them go. We don't have them out here at all and this is really the only place I've ever done much with gardening. I don't recall ever seeing anyone post in any of the forums here asking how to get rid of lightning bugs that were eating their plants, so I suspect they're not a major bad actor at the very least.

Sure looks like a firefly.
This is what wikipedia has to say about them:
"Fireflies overwinter (some species for several years) during the larval stage. Some do this by burrowing underground, while others find places on or under the bark of trees. They emerge in the spring. After several weeks of feeding, they pupate for 1 to 2.5 weeks and emerge as adults. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other larvae, terrestrial snails, and slugs. Some are so specialized that they have grooved mandibles which deliver digestive fluids directly to their prey. The diet of adults is variable. It has been reported that some are predatory, while others feed on plant pollen or nectar"

"specialized predators and feed on other larvae, terrestrial snails, and slugs."
Wow, even more reasons to love them!

It may also be a soldier beetle but hard to tell from pic. The soldier beetle is another one of the good guys eats aphids, spider mites and a bunch of others, they look like lightning bugs but don't light up, they come in a variety of different colors.
Why did you think they were pests?

I don't know, I am so new to gardening I assumed they were eating my flowers! I'll try to control the paranoia and do my homework. Thanks everyone

I never knew they were helping me out in the fight against slugs and snails until you asked that and I looked it up. Thank you.