Meet The Beneficial Insects
Attack pests head on with their natural insect enemies.
One of the best ways to control pests in your
garden is to encourage their natural enemies. Planting pollen and nectar plants,
and providing protection for these beneficial insects, is a basic tenet of
organic gardening, and a way to further increase the ecological diversity of
your yard. We've listed the most common beneficial insects along with tips on
attracting them to your yard.
Ladybugs. The familiar round, orange spotted ladybug is just one of more
than 400 species of lady beetles found in North America. Most ladybug adults and
larvae feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Adults are attracted to
flower nectar and pollen, which they must eat before they can reproduce.
Lacewings. Pale green or brown lacewing adults have distinctive large,
veined wings and feed mainly on flower nectar. Lacewing larvae, however, are
voracious predators that feed on aphids, thrips, scales, moth eggs, small
caterpillars and mites.
Hover Flies, aka flower flies or syrphid flies. Adults look like small
bees with striped abdomens; the grayish or greenish slug- like larvae have
pointed heads. Flower flies are attracted to flowers to feed on nectar and
pollen. The larvae feed on aphids in tight places where other good bugs can't
go, and are especially helpful in early spring, before other beneficial insects
are active. Flower flies also pollinate strawberries and raspberries, producing
larger fruits and higher yields.
Predatory Bugs, including minute pirate bugs, ambush bugs and assassin
bugs (soldier bugs, big-eyed bugs). These bugs prey on many insects, including
tomato hornworms, thrips, spider mites, many insects' eggs, leafhopper nymphs,
corn earworms and other small caterpillars. Pirate bugs are attracted by
willows, buckwheat, corn and nectar and pollen from many flowers. Predatory bugs
are attracted to bunch grasses, shrubs and other permanent plantings that
provide them shelter. A unique lure is available to attract emerging soldier
bugs to gardens.
Ground beetles. Large, long-legged, shiny blue-black or brown beetles
that hide under rocks and logs during the day, and are fast-moving when
disturbed. They feed on slugs, snails, cutworms, root maggots, and Colorado
potato beetle larvae. Attract them by providing perennial ground covers, stones,
or logs. Rove beetles resemble earwigs without pincers, and feed on many insect
pests and like similar conditions to ground beetles.
Hunting and parasitic wasps. There are hundreds of species of wasps,
including many that are so tiny you can barely see them. These mini-wasps often
attack the eggs of pests, and are one of the most important insect groups that
provide control of garden pests. They can be attracted by growing by pollen and
nectar plants.
Spiders. All spiders feed on insects and are very important in preventing
pest outbreaks. The spiders normally found in gardens do not move indoors, nor
are they poisonous. Permanent perennial plantings and straw mulches will provide
shelter and dramatically increase spider populations in vegetable gardens.
Tachinid Flies. Although they look similar to house flies, tachinid flies
are very important enemies of cutworms, armyworms, tent caterpillars, cabbage
loopers, gypsy moths, sawflies, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, and sowbugs. Grow
pollen and nectar plants to attract them.
