Beneficial insects are natural predators of garden pests. By encouraging them to live in your garden, you can reduce the need for harmful pesticides and create a more sustainable and healthy environment for your plants.
They include ladybugs, green lacewings and hoverflies. Also, chickadees, titmice and sparrows feed on garden pests like caterpillars, beetles and snails. Encourage them to visit your garden by providing birdhouses, birdbaths and native plantings that offer food and shelter.
Some tips:
Plant diversity: Cultivate a diverse range of plants in your garden. Different insects are attracted to different plants, so planting a variety will help to create a habitat for a diverse range of insects.
Plant flowers: Many beneficial insects are attracted to flowers, so planting a variety of flowering plants in your garden can help attract and retain these insects. Examples include daisies, sunflowers and marigolds.
Avoid chemical pesticides: These can harm beneficial insects, so it is important to avoid using them in your garden. Instead, use natural methods such as hand-picking pests and using row covers to protect plants.
Provide shelter: Beneficial insects need shelter to live and reproduce. You can provide shelter by creating habitat areas such as brush piles, rock piles or logs. These areas can also provide nesting sites for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Companion planting: Certain plants attract beneficial insects that will help to control pests on nearby plants. For example, planting dill or parsley near tomato plants can attract predatory wasps that will help control tomato hornworms.
Avoid using chemical fertilizers: These can harm beneficial insects, as well as the environment. Instead, use natural fertilizers such as compost to nourish your plants.
Practice crop rotation: Planting different crops in different areas of your garden each year helps reduce soil-borne diseases and pests.
Yosef Camire owns Ahavah Farm Nursery & Garden Center (www.ahavahfarm.com) and is president of Ahavah Community Initiative (www.ahavahcommunity.org).