Curious about why - and how - you should attract beneficial insects to the garden? Learn how in this post.
As any gardener will tell you, insects are a crucial part of the growing cycle for many plants.
Some plants require pollination to produce and reproduce, and many insects are experts in this field and will pollinate your flowers for you—if you can get them to your garden. In addition, other plants rely on certain predatory or parasitic insects to remove harmful insects from damaging them.
Therefore, it is important to know which beneficial insects might benefit your garden and bring them in or attract them to your garden accordingly.
Types of Beneficial Insects for the Garden
As previously mentioned, there are three main categories of beneficial insects—pollinators, predators, and parasitic—each with different skills and benefits to your plants. These insects rarely cause any damage to your plant—along with other plants nearby—so it’s never a bad idea to keep them around.
Pollinators are perhaps one of the best-known beneficial insects. These insects are responsible for a majority of the world’s pollination and are a crucial factor in producing much of the food we eat and flowers we grow.
Predator insects are often overlooked as beneficial insects because they do their job silently—unless you’re small enough to be one of their prey. These insects provide benefits to many plants by consuming pests that feed on and harm the plants. Most of these predator insects can do their jobs eating pests while leaving behind no harm to the plants that are benefiting from them.
Finally, parasitic insects.
There are several species of wasps that are parasitic, meaning that they lay their eggs on other, harmful pests or their eggs. this effectively kills whatever the eggs laid on once they hatch—don’t worry, parasitic wasps can’t harm people or pets, only other small insects.
Best Beneficial Insects for the Garden
1. Bees
Bees are some of the world’s best pollinators, which is why it is important that we help keep them around by protecting their habitats. Although honey bees are usually what comes to mind when we think about pollinating bees, there are actually several different species that can pollinate flowers, some are just more efficient than others.
Although some people may not be eager to invite bees onto their property because of the fear of bee stings, these creatures will usually leave you alone unless they feel threatened; most species of bees don’t even have the ability to sting.
2. Butterflies
Butterflies are another beneficial insect that can help pollinate your garden plants and flowers. Although they are not as effective as bees, they are known for their ability to move pollen long distances where bees generally only pass pollen to nearby plants.
Nearly all species of butterflies—and even moths—can pollinate flowers because they feed on the nectar, picking up pollen and dropping it on the next flowers where they land. Attracting butterflies to your garden to act as pollinators not only helps your plants—they make a beautiful addition to your garden as well.
3. Beetles
Beetles are some of the oldest documented pollinators and are still effective pollinators today. These insects may not move as quickly as the bees, or travel as far as the butterflies, but they still do their fair share of pollinating each season. Beetles are most often found on strongly-scented flowers as well as flowers that are bright in color.
There is even some research to support that many varieties of beetles have color-vision, helping them find the flowers. Beetles are more likely to go unnoticed as many species stick to the ground or only fly short distances at a time.
4. Ants
Similar to the beetles, ants aren’t the fastest or most effective choice for a pollinator, but they are still beneficial insects for many plants. Ants will often stick to flowers that are close to the ground to conserve energy that would have been spent climbing the stem.
Each ant may only be able to carry a few grains of pollen at a time, but they work in groups when collecting food and consequently transfer pollen as a group as well. Not all species of ants are significant pollinators, but they can still successfully pollinate if their colony is large enough.
5. Ladybugs
Ladybugs may appear innocent and unassuming, but they are actually ruthless predators in the bug world. There are plenty of pests that ladybugs will consume including whiteflies, scale insects, mites, and more.
Ladybugs larvae are actually more effective than mature ladybugs and are said to be able to consume as many as 40 aphids in an hour. Within the complete lifecycle of a ladybug, scientists have found that they will consume around 5,000 pests in total—get enough of them and the pests may start running away in fear!
6. Lacewings
Lacewings are another effective predatory insect that can provide benefits to surrounding plants. The pests that they consume include aphids, whiteflies, fungus gnats, thrips, mites, leafhoppers, and more. The larvae are particularly effective in eliminating ground-crawling pests such as aphids.
An advantage that lacewings have over ladybugs is that they are smaller and not as brightly colored, meaning you are less likely to see them in your garden—this would only be an advantage if you do not like the look of ladybugs in your garden. Although a lacewing does not generally consume as many pests as a ladybug does, these insects reproduce quickly, introducing more predators to the area.
7. Spiders
Although spiders are not technically classified as insects, many see them as such, and they are another beneficial predatory creature that can help protect your plants—they can call themselves whatever they want if they help eat harmful pests!
Spiders are often feared by humans, although most species will not cause you any harm. Most species of spiders are exceptionally good hunters, and they are quick to attack and eat even the fastest moving pests.
Another benefit to spiders is that there is no fear of them munching on your plants; they have no interest.
8. Praying Mantises
Praying mantises are another vicious predatory insect that will consume a wide range of harmful pests—and some not so harmful pests. Younger praying mantises feast primarily on aphids, mosquitoes, and small caterpillars while mature praying mantises prefer beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, moths, and more.
Not all of these insects are harmful to plants and some are even beneficial, potentially defeating the purpose of introducing praying mantises to your garden.
However, praying mantis can be beneficial if you have an infestation of harmful insects, as they will be more likely to find and eat these efficiently.
9. Brachonid Wasps
The brachonid wasps are tiny parasitic wasps that primarily lay their eggs on the backs of hornworms, effectively killing them. Other harmful pests that these wasps attack include aphids, web worms, armyworms, tent caterpillars, and many more—aren’t you glad you’re not a caterpillar?
10. Ichneumon Wasps
Ichneumon wasps are the largest parasitic wasp with a maximum size of around half an inch long—still not large enough to harm a human or animal, although a little bit creepier if you ask me. The pests that these wasps primarily attack include cutworms, corn earworms, white grubs, and many varieties of caterpillars.
The females are generally larger than the males because of their long back ends that have egg-laying tubes—gross, I know.
11. Trichogramma Wasps
Trichogramma wasps are one of the most readily available parasitic wasp species for purchase either online or in some specialty stores. These wasps fall into the chalcid wasp group which is home to many, very similar parasitic wasps.
These wasps are some of the smallest, with some only growing to be 1/64th of an inch long—making them a popular variety because you don’t have to see them! The Trichogramma wasps primarily focus on cabbage worms, hornworms, corn earworms, cutworms, armyworms, webworms, corn borers, and more.
Attracting Beneficial Insects
After reading about some of the benefits that certain beneficial insects can provide, you may want some of your own to add to your garden, so how do you get them to visit? You may be lucky enough that the right beneficial insects already live in your garden, taking care of problems you never even have to know you have. If you are suffering from a loss of pollination or an infestation of certain pests, however, it may be time to consider bringing in some help.
Pollinators
Pollinators are always good to have around if you are growing flowers or plants that produce fruit, as pollination is often a crucial part of these plant’s life cycles. Thankfully, there are pollinators all around us, and they are fairly easy to draw in with a little bit of work.
If the flowers that you need pollinated are not enough to draw in the pollinators, consider planting a pollinator garden which is comprised of some of the most fragrant and brightly colored flowers—sure to draw those pollinators in to check everything out. Do some research to see what your local pollinator’s favorite flowers are and get some planted around your garden right away!
Pollinators may also appreciate some shelter and clean water where they can drink and rest. Although pollinators may visit from time to time, a comfortable pollinator is more likely to stay for longer periods of time, providing their pollinating services for longer stretches.
Some gardeners will even go as far as to keep their own bees, providing shelter for their queen and workers. Although beekeeping is not only done to bring pollinators to your garden, it can serve as a great side effect of keeping bees.
Predators
The main draw for predatory insects is generally a good source of shelter. This is primarily true for larger predatory insects that require cover to keep them safe from even larger predators such as birds. Large, bushy plants are often sufficient to cover these insects and will help to keep them safe.
Many predatory insects will also eat nectar, so the same flowers that you would grow for your pollinator garden may serve a purpose with your predatory insects as well. Water is also important for predatory insects, so it never hurts to add a fresh source.
If you aren’t having any luck attracting certain predatory insects to your garden, many varieties can be purchased online or in specialty stores. Ladybugs and lacewings are especially easy to find and purchase and are generally very effective in their job.
Parasitic Wasps
As with pollinators and predatory insects, parasitic wasps also like to feed on pollen and nectar, meaning certain flowers can help attract them to your garden. In particular, parasitic wasps tend to like alyssum, daisies, asters, and many different varieties of herbs, so consider planting these plants near your garden if you require assistance from these beneficial wasps.
Water and shelter may also help to attract these parasitic wasps, but they are less likely to require these resources than other beneficial insects.
If parasitic wasps still aren’t visiting your garden, or if you want immediate results, consider purchasing some to release in your garden. While the Trichogramma wasps are the most commercially available, almost all varieties can be purchased online.
Something to keep in mind with all beneficial insects is that certain pesticides or overuse of pesticides can just as effectively kill them as they can your intending pests. Killing certain beneficial insects can do more harm to your plants than the pests did in the first place, so you may want to consider alternative methods of pest control.
If beneficial insects aren’t doing enough to lower the pest levels, consider using neem oil, horticultural soap, or other organic pesticides that are less likely to harm the good insects that you have in your garden.
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