If you have a vegetable or flower garden, you’ve likely heard the phrase beneficial insects. But, what are these insects, and why and how are they beneficial? Most folks think about bees and butterflies, but the realm of beneficial insects is far greater than that. In fact, there are several dozen insects with advantages to offer. Your garden will be infinitely healthier, more productive, and greener when you create spaces that welcome these helpful insects.
1. Aphid Parasite Wasp
This minuscule wasp is a mighty aphid-fighter. It hones in on plants infested with aphids, then injects an egg into the pest. Once the egg hatches, the larvae eat the aphid from the inside out. Other aphids in the area emit an “alarm” pheromone to the intruder, which sends the whole aphid colony fleeing. Sometimes, they all fall to the ground and die. Gross, that’s for sure, but quite effective at combating this common garden pest! One aphid parasite wasp will lay eggs in up to 300 aphids.
How To Attract: Adult wasps enjoy pollen and nectar, especially from umbrella-shaped flowers. Yarrow, Queen Anne’s lace, fennel, dill, and zinnias are irresistible.
2. Assassin Bugs
An odd-looking insect, which looks like a cross between a praying mantis and a squash bug, the Assassin Bug is an excellent garden friend. These bugs eat aphids, beetles, caterpillars, and leafhoppers, along with other bugs. Assassin bugs aren’t picky and will eat any insect that crosses their path, including beneficial ones. One caveat, these bugs deliver a painful bite (not deadly – it just hurts!), so steer clear of them if you see them. If your garden space is teeming with pests eating your plants, Assassin Bugs are wonderful to have around.
How To Attract: Assassin Bugs are attracted to Queen Anne’s lace and daisies. Plus, they like a wide range of insects to eat.
3. Bees
Honey bees are the most commonly known bee pollinator, but they aren’t actually the best bee for the job. The honeybee isn’t native to North America, and while they do a good job, native bumblebees, carpenter bees, mason bees, miner bees, and leaf-cutter bees are much better because they are specialized. Native bees vary by region, so it is important to learn the ones specific to your locale. There are 49 bumblebee types native to North America and over 2000 other bee species. All of them work non-stop as pollinators. It is estimated that native bees pollinate 80% of all flowering plants. There is no one way to attract wild bees – their preferences vary as widely as their sizes, shapes, and colors. Besides planting specific flowers to attract bees, it is essential to make sure there is water and shelter for them, too.
How To Attract: Check out these guides to see which bees are native to your area. Then, plant flowers to attract specific species. Wild bees prefer wildflowers and native plants, so be sure to grow a wide variety of them.
4. Big-Eyed Bugs
These minuscule bugs eat thrips, whiteflies, mites, caterpillars, Mexican bean beetles, and leafhoppers. While they are mostly beneficial, they do have a bad habit of munching on garden plants if they can’t find any other food. Only work to attract these if you already have a big pest problem.
How To Attract: Goldenrod, soybeans, and pigweed are the favorite plants for Big-Eyed Bugs. Big-Eyed Bugs are omnivores and will eat insects, plants, and nectar.
5. Butterflies
By far one of the prettiest beneficial insects, butterflies are excellent pollinators. Plus, they are lovely to watch as they flit around the garden!
How To Attract: Butterflies prefer large, brilliantly colored flowers. They are also attracted to scent. To ensure butterfly populations, plant a diverse array of big, beautiful flowers. Also, butterfly caterpillars are host-specific, meaning they will only eat the leaves of one plant. If you want to attract a specific butterfly, you must plant the specific flower the species needs. Milkweed, lupines, asters, violets, sedum, clover, and black-eyed Susan are just a few of the flowers butterflies seek out.
6. Damsel Bug
This beneficial bug eats leafhoppers, aphids, thrips, mites, cabbage worms, and small caterpillars. The nymph damsel bug is voracious and will eat many insects bigger than itself. Damsel bugs lay their eggs in low-growing grassy areas.
How To Attract: Damsel bugs like tall grasses to hide in, as well as fennel, mint, goldenrod, and caraway plants.
7. Green Lacewing
The young larvae of this insect have enormous appetites for mites, aphids, caterpillars, and problematic bugs. In a week, larvae can eat up to 200 aphids! They easily earn their nicknames, “aphid lion” and “aphid wolf.” Adult Green Lacewings feed on pollen and nectar, so to attract them to the garden means planting the flowers they love.
How To Attract: Cosmos, yarrow, goldenrod, coreopsis, Marguerite daisies, and Queen Anne’s lace attract adult Green Lacewings.
8. Ground Beetles
Both adult ground beetles and their larvae eat pests, including the Colorado potato beetle, asparagus beetles, cutworms, corn earworms, cabbage root maggots, slugs, and caterpillars. One larva can eat up to 50 caterpillars. These insect eaters aren’t attracted by specific plants; they like a diversity of perennials to make their homes. They also look for hiding places, like under rocks and boards. If you have a slug issue, ground beetles are great to have around because they congregate in the same areas that slugs do. – damp, dark places.
How To Attract: Provide a diverse habitat, including perennial shrubs, rocks, and boards for them to call home.
9. Hoverflies
Hoverfly larvae eat aphids, thrips, caterpillars, and mealybugs. The adults eat pollen and nectar and are incredible pollinators. Hoverflies resemble tiny yellowjacket wasps but don’t let that worry you. They are one of the best beneficial insects for the garden, and they don’t even have a stinger.
How To Attract: Hoverflies appreciate a diverse mix of flowers and herbs. Daisies, marigolds, lavender, asters, dill, fennel, and feverfew are just a few effective choices.
10. Ladybugs
Not just good luck to you, a population of ladybugs is fortunate for a garden, as well. Both adults and larvae eat copious amounts of aphids, mites, soft-bodied insects, and bug eggs. Larvae are known to consume up to 40 aphids an hour! The adults also enjoy a feast of nectar and pollen. Ladybug larvae are bright yellow little eggs, which they lay on plant stems and leaves.
How To Attract: Adult ladybugs are attracted to coriander (cilantro), dill, fennel, alyssum, thyme, oregano, yarrow, and coreopsis.
11. Leaf Miner Parasites
If you’ve seen the telltale sign of a leaf-miner bug infestation, you know how frustrating it can be. Leaf miner larvae tunnel through leaves as they eat, leaving brown squiggles behind. They are rarely selective and will destroy crops of leafy greens, tomato plants, and even citrus trees. If left unchecked, they cause extensive damage and pave the way for bacterial or fungal diseases to infect your plants. The Leaf Miner parasite is a tiny, non-stinging wasp that uses the Leaf miner bug as a host for its eggs and larvae. The wasp kills the bug, lays its eggs inside, and when the larvae hatch, the bug is their food. An adult Leaf Miner parasitic wasp lays upwards of 300 eggs in its short month-long life-cycle. The adult wasps eat nectar and pollen.
How To Attract: Adult Leaf Miner parasites prefer dill, parsley, yarrow, zinnia, cosmos, sunflowers, marigolds, alfalfa, and clover.
12. Mealybug Destroyer
As the name suggests, this beetle eats all the mealybugs. However, the Mealybug Destroyer also enjoys feasting on aphids and other soft-scaled bugs. Adults and larvae alike eat the garden pests. Female Mealybug Destroyers have developed some sneaky tactics; they lay their eggs in or nearby a mealybugs cotton-like egg casing – at a rate of 10 eggs a day for 50 days! Once the Destroyer larvae hatch, they feast on the eggs off the mealybug.
How To Attract: Dill, fennel, goldenrod, and sunflowers attract Mealybug Destroyer adults. However, most Mealybug Destroyers cannot deal with cold weather and don’t naturally occur in particularly cold climates. To keep a stable population of them, they’ll need to be purchased each spring. Warmer zones will be able to host them without an issue.
13. Pirate Bug
This predatory insect feasts on spider mites, aphids, caterpillars, and thrips. Pirate Bugs are aptly named, as they have quite the gruesome method for eating their prey. These bugs pierce their victims with long sharp beaks and suck the juices out. Pirate Bugs are especially useful at crippling spider mite populations, eating upwards of 30 per day. While both larvae and adult pirate bugs primarily eat other insects, they also feed on pollen and plant juices.
How To Attract: Pirate Bugs prefer laying their eggs on corn, tomatoes, soybeans, and grain crops. Sweet clover, daisies, alfalfa, vetch, caraway, fennel, and mint attract Pirate Bugs.
14. Praying Mantis
One of the most well-known beneficial insects, Praying Mantis’ eat a wide variety of insects. Moths, beetles, flies, and grasshoppers are all fair game. The Praying Mantis is not selective and will also eat other beneficial insects, like bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. If you have a lot of pests to deal with, the Praying Mantis is what you need. They may be problematic, though, if food sources are low and they start eating all the other beneficials.
How To Attract: Praying Mantis’ like the protection of tall grass. They are also drawn to marigolds, dill, and shrubs.
15. Robber Flies
These flies look like horseflies, but they don’t attack people, thank goodness! Instead, Robber Flies spend their days attacking bugs of all sorts, including beetles, wasps, leafhoppers, grasshoppers, and mosquitoes. Unfortunately, Robber Flies don’t discriminate on who they eat and will also kill beneficial insects. Their usefulness greatly outweighs any side effects, though, so it is good to have them around the garden.
How To Attract: Robber Flies like to choose from various bug snacks, and as long as there is food, they’ll stick around. A diverse array of plants will host an extensive buffet for the flies.
16. Soldier Beetles
A predator to Colorado potato beetles, Mexican bean beetles, caterpillars, cucumber beetles, cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, flea beetles, corn rootworms, beet armyworms, and aphids, the Soldier Beetle is important to have in the garden. Both the larvae and adult Soldier Beetles eat voraciously, preying on almost 100 different pests.
How To Attract: Soldier Beetles like flowers with compound blossoms, like zinnias, goldenrod, hydrangeas, milkweed, and marigolds. The female adults will drink the nectar and lay their eggs on the foliage of these plants.
17. Spiders
While not technically an insect, spiders are great garden friends. They don’t just eat flies; they also eat mosquitoes, wasps, aphids, grasshoppers, and fruit flies. Spiders have no interest in plants, so you never have to worry about them harming your vegetables or herbs.
How To Attract: Spiders need adequate space to spin their webs. If you see spider webs, don’t tear them down unless absolutely necessary.
18. Tachinid Flies
This large family of parasitic flies includes over 1300 species in North America. Most species resemble houseflies in some way but are much smaller. Tachinid flies feed on beetle larvae, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other bugs. Many Tachinid flies display an unusual trait for insects; the eggs mature within the mother, and when she lays them, they hatch immediately. Among the many tachinid flies, some types specialize. For example, one tachinid parasitizes corn borer larvae, while another only attacks the cabbage looper caterpillar.
How To Attract: Adult Tachinid Flies are attracted to dill, cilantro, sweet clover, carrots, Queen Anne’s lace, and buckwheat.
19. Wasps – Brachnoid & Trichogramma
The idea of encouraging wasps may seem like a dangerous idea, but not all wasps sting. Neither the Bracnhoid nor Trichogramma wasps are dangerous to humans; they do not sting.
Brachnoid – Wasps of this species lay their eggs on the back of caterpillars, including the tomato hornworm. The eggs appear as a white cocoon on the caterpillar’s back. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the caterpillar – alive!
Tomato hornworms are a considerable problem for tomato plants because they eat all the foliage and kill the plant. However, a little-known fact is that these troublesome hornworms morph into Sphinx Moths. And Sphinx Moths are excellent pollinators and actually benefit the garden. If you have a problem with the hornworm, try increasing the population of brachnoid wasps to deal with the issue naturally. But, please don’t kill all the hornworms you see; instead, try relocating them to a safe area far from the garden with plenty of green foliage for them to eat.
Trichogramma – These wasps lay their eggs inside the body of several pesty insects, where, once hatched, the larvae eat the host. Trichogramma wasps parasitize Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, green stinkbugs, corn borers, grasshoppers, and Gypsy moth caterpillars.
How To Attract: Adult wasps of both types feed on nectar and pollen. Plant chamomile, dill, fennel, yarrow, allium, and alyssum to attract them.
Now, it’s time to start planning the garden and plan how to keep it healthy and free from pests, the natural way. Encouraging and maintaining spaces for beneficial insects to habitat and eat is essential for a flourishing garden. Don’t forget to look into which native insects live near you and how to provide for them. Happy Gardening!
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