Try these natural pest control methods for a healthier garden
A 2005 study at the University of Illinois found that bagworm-infested shrubs surrounded by flowering plants had 71 percent higher rates of parasitism on the bagworms than shrubs that didn’t have flowers nearby. And while it’s true that you can buy some predatory insect species, growing flowers whose pollen and nectar feed beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, hoverflies or predatory wasps, is a more reliable (and easier!) way to bring them in.
For example, if your peonies attract adult tiphia wasps, they’ll lay eggs on nearby adult Japanese and Oriental beetles. And the larvae of hoverflies and lady beetles are voracious predators of aphids, plant hoppers, caterpillars and other pests.
Natural pest control tips
Follow these tips and grow the plants at right to make your garden more attractive to beneficial insects.
• Grow long-blooming plants
That way there are always flowers for beneficial insects to feed on. While it’s often the larvae that feed on pests, adults can have a short lifespan and need food at just the right time to feed, reproduce and lay eggs.
• Beneficial insects need water too
Add a few stones to a birdbath so insects have shallow areas where they can safely access moisture.
• Flower shape makes a difference
Many beneficial insect adults feed on nectar and pollen but have small mouthparts. Make it easy for them to access by growing umbel-shaped and daisy-shaped blooms.
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6 Plants That Help Attract Beneficial Insects to the Garden
1. Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Airy yellow flowers on top of long stems from summer to early fall; host plant to swallowtail butterflies
Light: Full sun
Size: 3 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects including: Lady beetles, lacewings, ichneumon wasps
2. Goldenrod (Solidago spp. and hybrids)
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Plumes, spikes or long arching stems covered in small individual flowers from late summer to fall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 1 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
Attractive to beneficial insects: Hoverflies, leatherwing soldier beetles
3. Peony (Paeonia hybrids)
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Single or double pink, white, purple, yellow or red blooms in early to late spring
Light: Full sun
Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
Attractive to beneficial insects: Tiphia wasps
4. Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)
Type: Annual
Blooms: Daisy-shaped blooms in golden yellow, orange, pink, peach, cream or bronze from late spring to frost
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Attractive to beneficial insects: Lady beetles, hoverflies
5. Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)
Type: Biennial
Blooms: White blooms in summer; be cautious of toxic sap
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 36 to 48 in. tall, 6 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects: Hoverflies, lacewings, lady beetles
6. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Clusters of individual white, purple or lavender flowers form a mass of color from late spring to frost
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 3 to 9 in. tall, 6 to 14 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects including: Hoverflies
PHOTOS: stock.adobe.com, jonnysek (Dill); stock.adobe.com, Gerry (Queen Anne’s lace)
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