Attracting beneficial insects.
Too many pests in your garden will result in poor plant health and lower yields. By now, we all know how detrimental using a chemical cocktail of pesticides can be to your health and the environment, so that's obviously out of the equation. While there are certified organic pesticides that will not harm beneficial insects, this will not fix the problem in the long term. The best solution to your problem is utilising nature to its full potential. This means attracting an abundance and variety of wildlife to your garden. This can be done through a variety of ways. With an abundance of wildlife not only comes better pest management, but also the added benefits of better pollination, and therefore more delicious, home grown food.
So, what exactly do beneficial insects do? These hungry, hungry bugs are like pest vacuums. They are predatory bugs and parasites that will eat herbivorous insects and parasites that will eat your plants. For example, a lady bug will eat up to 60 aphids a day. They will also feed on the nectar and pollen of your plants, which will help will pollination.
As you can see, beneficial insects are a must have if you want a healthy, thriving garden. The easiest way to attract these insects is by planting lots of beneficial attracting plants. Luckily, most of these plants are common, and you probably already have some in your garden. The most common plants are: mint; lemon balm; rosemary; sage; oregano; thyme; lavender; daisy; sunflower; dandelion; dill; coriander; and parsley. By planting a large variety of these, you will get flowers throughout the entire year, enticing these beneficials to make your home, their home, all year round.
Another way to attract beneficials is by providing them with shelter, otherwise known as an insect hotel. These insect hotels are places for beneficials to lay eggs and rest in a safe environment. They can be bought from most good nurseries, or even better, you can easily make one yourself. It can be as elaborate or as simple as your construction skills and imagination will allow. There are many different designs that serve different purposes, allowing you to tailor it to your location.
Bird baths are also important for keeping beneficials around. By placing a water lily in the bird bath, you are providing the bugs with a safe location to drink water from, without the risk of drowning. The bird bath will also attract birds, who will contribute to the management of pests.
These beneficial bugs are already dropping in numbers due to habitat loss and environmental destruction, so it should be our task to provide food and shelter for them. Those who do this will be rewarded with unprecedented pest management and pollination, leaving you and your garden more happy and healthy than ever.
