Attract Beneficial Insects for Natural Pest Control

By Jessica Walliser
Published on September 24, 2015
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Designing an insectary border that is appealing to both beneficial insects and humans isn’t as difficult as it might seem.
Designing an insectary border that is appealing to both beneficial insects and humans isn’t as difficult as it might seem.
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Intentional beneficial insect releases are one element of biocontrol: the practice of using one living organism to help control the population of another.
Intentional beneficial insect releases are one element of biocontrol: the practice of using one living organism to help control the population of another.
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It is important to create a structurally diverse environment capable of supporting insects of all sorts – all while keeping your own sense of aesthetics in place.
It is important to create a structurally diverse environment capable of supporting insects of all sorts – all while keeping your own sense of aesthetics in place.
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Incorporating individual beneficial insect–friendly plants into an existing landscape is a good way to get started.
Incorporating individual beneficial insect–friendly plants into an existing landscape is a good way to get started.
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Select the location of your insectary border carefully, as many of the most desirable plants prefer six to eight hours of full sun per day. A slightly sheltered site is ideal for smaller beneficials that have difficulty flying in windy conditions.
Select the location of your insectary border carefully, as many of the most desirable plants prefer six to eight hours of full sun per day. A slightly sheltered site is ideal for smaller beneficials that have difficulty flying in windy conditions.
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Covering just 1 percent of your property with insectary plantings is a good initial target. And because many insectary plants are very attractive, using them as part of a foundation planting adds color, texture, and complexity to what is often an uninteresting part of the landscape.
Covering just 1 percent of your property with insectary plantings is a good initial target. And because many insectary plants are very attractive, using them as part of a foundation planting adds color, texture, and complexity to what is often an uninteresting part of the landscape.
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An insectary planting like this one is intentionally created to provide for the environmental and nutritional needs of a vast array of natural enemies.
An insectary planting like this one is intentionally created to provide for the environmental and nutritional needs of a vast array of natural enemies.
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A diversity of flower shapes and bloom times is critical for enhancing both the aesthetic appeal of the garden and its ability to support a broad range of natural enemies.
A diversity of flower shapes and bloom times is critical for enhancing both the aesthetic appeal of the garden and its ability to support a broad range of natural enemies.
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Look to include appealing color combinations in your border but also keep varied floral structures in mind. This combination of oregano, asters, and laceflower partners small, tubular flowers with daisylike flowers and tiny, shallow umbels.
Look to include appealing color combinations in your border but also keep varied floral structures in mind. This combination of oregano, asters, and laceflower partners small, tubular flowers with daisylike flowers and tiny, shallow umbels.
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In “Attracting Beneficial Bugs for Your Garden,” organic gardening expert Jessica Walliser provides an accessible guide to selecting, placing, and caring for plants that will invite beneficial insects into your garden to do the dirty work of pest control for you.
In “Attracting Beneficial Bugs for Your Garden,” organic gardening expert Jessica Walliser provides an accessible guide to selecting, placing, and caring for plants that will invite beneficial insects into your garden to do the dirty work of pest control for you.

It may seem counterintuitive to attract insects to your garden; but with the right knowledge and a good plan, you can attract beneficial pollinators and predators that will eat the pests feeding on your organic fruits and vegetables. Jessica Walliser is a subject-matter expert, and her book Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden (Timber Press, 2014), explains exactly how to plant insectary borders in and around your garden.The following is an excerpt from, “Your Beneficial Border.”

A Guide to Designing for the Bugs

As you already know, many natural enemies feed not only on other insects but also on nectar and pollen. Insectary plantings, or insectary borders, are areas intentionally created to support the nutritional and environmental needs of insect predators and parasitoids. These areas can come about simply by letting part of the yard or farm go wild, but often they are purposefully created. They are designed and maintained specifically to cater to the needs of beneficial insects.

The design of the border greatly influences the types of predators and parasitoids lured to it, as well as the length of their stay and even their health and well-being. Several factors are involved in such consequences, including the diversity of flower shapes and bloom times, the complexity of plant architectures, and the creation of winter habitat. Blending all these factors together with some sense of aesthetic appeal can prove challenging. This excerpt shows you how to do it.

Here you will learn how to use all the plants profiled in Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, and some others as well, to develop a diverse environment that encourages beneficial insects of all sorts. Just so you won’t be intimidated by the design process, I provide a handful of insectary border plans for you to use as a guide. You can take the ideas presented here and adapt them to your own landscape based on your aesthetic sense, your gardening climate, and the size of your backyard.

Biocontrol Tactics for Your Yard

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