Ecological Gardening Part 4: Attracting Beneficial Insects

It's "the little things that run the world”. - EO Wilson

Life as we know it depends on insects. They are the foundation of the food web in our ecosystems, particularly in our gardens. Insects pollinate flowers and maintain soil structure, but they also munch on our cabbage and attack other desirable plants in the garden and landscape. When we see damage done to our plants, our first instinct may be to apply whatever product will kill the insect quickly in order to save the plant. But nature already has a remedy. 

In a healthy ecosystem, damaging insects or “pests” are controlled by insect-eating birds, frogs, and other animals. There are also insects that eat other insects. We call these beneficial insects. Beneficials (the good bugs) help us in two ways: either they prey on other insects (the bad bugs) or they parasitize them by laying their eggs in or on them so their larvae can feed on and kill the pest.

Ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory wasps are commonly-known beneficials. Instead of ordering them from a gardening catalog, we can attract these and other good bugs to our yards. Here are six ways:

1. Avoid using pesticides as most can’t differentiate between pests and beneficials and end up killing both.
2. Create a garden that celebrates diversity by planting trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, and groundcovers.
3. Plan a garden with continuous blooms from spring into fall. Include different kinds of flowers, especially ones called umbels like dill, yarrow, parsley, and cilantro which attract parasitic wasps. 
4. Include native plants, especially keystone natives. Learn more about that here. 
5. Provide a water source, even a small dish with pebbles and water. 
6. Practice companion planting in the vegetable garden. Interplanting flowers with edibles can attract beneficial insects and help keep pests to a minimum. Learn more about companion planting here. 

Here’s one final thought. If a plant is struggling and continually susceptible to pests, perhaps it is the wrong plant for in that spot. It may not be suitable for that location or even your ecoregion. Maybe the best thing to do is remove it and replace it with a plant that is better suited to the site - like natives!   

Next week we will focus on using natural fertilizers. Also, mark your calendars for Saturday, March 23. Naturalist, Beth Goeppinger will be here at BGC presenting ‘Planning Your Native Landscape’. Until then, check out the links below to learn more. 

LINKS: 
​What is Ecological Gardening?
Homegrown National Parks
Native Plant Finder