How to Garden with Beneficial Insects

It can be tempting, when you go out to your garden and see those aphids and other pests ravaging your rosebushes to just spray them with some pesticides and be done with it. But there’s a better way that will result in a healthier, happier garden for everyone. Everyone except those pests, that is.  Beneficial insects are great for keeping pests under control—and you can feel great about keeping your garden pesticide free too!

Lady bugs are one of the most well-known insects around, and they love aphids. They are known for their red and black spotted backs, and are a great help in the garden. However, their larvae look very different from the adults, so many well-meaning gardeners end up killing the larvae, thinking they are pests. It’s important to recognized all the life stages of beneficial insects to avoid killing a good young bug.

Green LacewingThough you might not notice these insects too much, they are common to much of North America.  Green lacewings are a pale green, and have large, transparent green wings and fragile looking bodies. Lacewings eat nectar and pollen as an adult, but their larvae are vigorous predators, and can eat over six hundred aphids over the course of their larvae cycle. They eat aphids, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies, and well as other rose pests.

Praying MantisThe Praying Mantis is possibly one of the most easily recognizable insects, with its long front limbs and bulging eyes.  They are the lions of the insect kingdom and will eat pretty much any bug that walks, crawls or flies in the garden.  And without the use of pesticides, there will always be plenty of insects for this hungry predator to eat.

And how do you attract these beneficial insects to your garden? There are a number of plants that will attract these good insects. Planting them near or around your rosebushes will improve the health of the garden, as well as adding interest and beauty to the planting.

Fiddleneck  (phacelia tanacetifolia) is a lovely annual plant from the borage family. It attracts many beneficial insects as well as being healthy for the soil. It is also used as a cover crop.

Calendula. This vivacious annual comes in a bright orange, yellow or cheery cream, and will brighten up any space, as well as adding to the health of the garden. The flowers of this plant are also edible, and highly medicinal. Marigolds deter many pests and attract other good insects. They are lovely as a border, and also attract bees.

Lavender is popular to use with roses for its eye appeal, but it is also a very healthy plant to add to any planting. Bees love it, and it attracts many other beneficial insects, as well as fragrance the garden during its blooming season.

By trying these methods, you’ll have a happy, healthy garden buzzing with activity in no time. Happy gardening!