One of the best ways to deal with pest insects who insist on eating your flowers, plant and tree leaves, and whatever’s in your vegetable garden? Attracting their natural enemies to your property. Let’s take a look at a few of the many beneficial garden insects and what makes them so gosh-darn helpful:
Ladybugs
Arguably one of the more attractive members of the insect community, ladybugs are highly beneficial, as both ladybug adults and larvae feast on aphids and other annoying soft-bodied insects. Buy boxes of them at your local nursery and set them free in your backyard. For best results, have at least a few plants ladybugs love present, such as Dill, Chives, Cilantro, Angelica and Marigold.
Lacewings
Known for their large, veined wings, Lacewing adults are either green or brown in color. Their larvae love to snack on thrips, scales, moth eggs, caterpillars, mites and aphids. Lacewings adore flower gardens, especially those filled with broad-petaled flowers such as sunflowers and daises. Queen Anne’s Lace and Golden Rod also work; purchase them online or from your local nursery if you want them in your yard yesterday.
Spiders
Okay, so spiders aren’t insects, but they’re still very important to have in terms of pest insect control! Avoid killing them whenever possible, instead try to release them in your yard or simply let them do their thing in your home if non-poisonous. A big predator of cicadas, spiders are very helpful if dealing with an infestation of these pest insects. They love mulch, so if you have a lot of it on your property you won’t have to worry much about attracting spiders. Three-inch-high lawns are also best for maintaining a spider population.
Dragonflies
Dragonflies will allow you to enjoy a night on your patio or balcony without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes! The colorful insects also get rid of other unwanted pests, making them an ideal addition to your yard. A water feature featuring underwater vegetation is a great way to attract them, as will filling your yard with colorful plants and providing at least a few rocks so they may sunbath.
These are merely a few of the many beneficial insects worth attracting to your yard! Find out which insects work best for your needs and location, and enjoy using natural means for pest control.
