For every pest that exists, there exists its own natural enemy to control its population. In this case, beneficial bugs may be one of the answers to defeating those notoriously damaging pests in your garden.
As a whole, attracting beneficial bugs can aid in:
- Pollination of plants to encourage growth.
- Curbing the pest population by natural predatory and parasitic means, depending on the nature of the bugs.
- Reducing dependency on insecticides to get rid of any garden pests.
Like all living things, bugs need to survive and reproduce; we are merely providing the garden space for that in return for their beneficial habits. So read on for a list of these bugs and tips on attracting them to your garden.
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Table of contents
What are the Different Types of Beneficial Bugs?
- Pollinators. As you can guess, these are your numero uno essential bugs that help pollinate all plants. Without them, we wouldn’t have the goodness of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs in our lives, not to mention the flowers and trees too! These bugs include widely known favorites such as honeybees and butterflies.
- Predators. Just like the name, these bugs are the devourer of pests destroying your plants. They are usually the same size or larger than their prey and can eat multiple pests in a day! Talk about an appetite. Some eat any type of insect, such as spiders; others have a reservation for eating only certain insects like the one-track-minded soldier beetle.
- Parasitoids. These bugs are also predators of pests but in a different sense. Because of their smaller size, they use their agility instead to make a little sneak attack. They will lay eggs in or on their chosen prey, where the eventual larvae will feed off the host until it dies. Sounds like something out of Aliens, doesn’t it? The downside to this is only a few pests at a time will be killed off naturally by these bugs. Examples of these bugs are parasitic wasps and flies. Sidenote, some known adult bugs out there prefer sucking the blood out of the pests without laying eggs, effectively weakening them.
- Decomposers. Some insects under these categories are millipedes and sowbugs that help decompose organic matter in the ground along with certain bacteria, snails, slugs, worms, and fungi. This helps to enrich the soil where plants take up nutrients to develop well, thereby completing the whole circle of life once more.
Who are These Beneficial Bugs?
- Bees – Pollinator
- What do they look like? They’re usually ½ an inch in size and are typically yellow & black in color. You know, just your average bee buddies.
- What do they like to eat? These tiny darlings love gorging themselves on nectar, pollen, and you guessed it, honey!
- Butterflies – Pollinator
- What do they look like? Their sizes range from ½ an inch to 11 inches, depending on their species. Butterflies come in rainbows of colors, which hands-down, makes them the prettiest bugs in nature.
- What do they like to eat? Usually, they love feasting on nectar, but sometimes they also feed on pollen and honey. Though there are some species that eat wooly aphids and decaying plants’ juices.
- Ladybugs – Predator
- What do they look like? They are usually about 1 cm long but can be as small as 1 mm. They have different colored species like yellow with black dots, brown shell with dots, black with red dots but of course, everybody knows the red with black dots ladybug most of all.
- What do they like to eat? They reallllllly love eating aphids, it’s practically their larvae’s staple diet! Other than that, they also eat scales, mites, leafhoppers, mealybugs, and other smaller insects’ larvae. Oh and nectar too, of course.
- Green and brown lacewing – Predator
- What do they look like? The green lacewing is usually about 15-20 mm long with lace-like wings (apt to their name). While the brown lacewing is relatively smaller at 10-12 mm and can be either beige, brown, or dark green with hairy wings.
- What do they like to eat? They’ll gorge on scales, aphids, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, and other wingless insects. Some of the adults also like to dine on aphid honeydew and plant sap.
Note: don’t bother them when you see them; they will pass some stinky gas if you do.
- Praying mantis – Predator
- What do they look like? Depending on their species, they could range anywhere from 1 ⅛ to 4 inches in size. Their color can also be either cream, yellowish-green, green, or even dark brown! Though, you are more likely to see the pale green one around more.
- What do they like to eat? They love eating grasshoppers/crickets in particular. But you will have to keep their population in check because they will eat almost any insects, including beneficial bugs and even themselves! I’m sure you’ve heard of how the female praying mantis will tear off the head of the male praying mantis after they’ve done their Marvin Gaye dance. Yup, it’s true. But, that is just part of the life cycle …
- Spiders – Predator
- What do they look like? They are not exactly an insect but actually an arachnid. You’ll be looking out for the wolf spiders, crab spiders, and jumping spiders specifically. It’s a bit hard to pinpoint their exact colors and size as they vary between species. So don’t kill off any spiders you see because they are probably doing you more good than harm. Except if you’re in Australia that is; don’t trust bugs there, don’t kill them but stay far far away hahaha. If you are particularly worried about what type of spider you have, take a picture of it and do a quick Google to determine its species.
- What do they like to eat? They will eat any pests that come their way!
- Ground beetles – Predator
- What do they look like? They can be about ⅛ -½ inches in length, though there are some species that reach up an inch long. Most of them are usually brown or black with a particular shine to their body.
- What do they like to eat? They will eat any insects loitering on the ground, especially armyworms, cutworms, and small mole crickets.
- Soldier beetles – Predator
- What do they look like? They are usually about ½ inch in size and are generally colored in shades of yellow and brown with black oval spots on their wings and behind their head.
- What do they like to eat? They will eat Mexican bean beetles (surprisingly, a species of ladybugs that are notorious pests), Colorado potato beetles, caterpillars, aphids, and other insects eggs, and larvae.
- Assassin bugs – Predator
- What do they look like? They can be anywhere from ⅙ to ½ inches long considering their large various species. So their color can also be anything in shades of red, green, brown, and black.
- What do they like to eat? These bugs will eat just about any pests, just don’t mistake them for squash bugs and try to get rid of them; if you do … they’ll bite.
- Robber flies – Predator
- What do they look like? They are usually about ⅜ to 1 ⅛ inch in size and be gray or black with a hairy body.
- What do they like to eat? These will eat any pests but don’t disturb them though; they may bite when threatened.
- Big-eyed bugs – Predator
- What do they look like? They’re usually about 3mm long and are black with white wings.
- What do they like to eat? They eat just about any pests they come across, particularly mites, both as nymphs and adults.
- Hoverflies – Predator as larvae/Pollinators as adults
- What do they look like? It’s hard to pin down their specific size and color as the different species have many variations. Although, they do look a little bit like bees and wasps with the iconic yellow and black markings. But also resembles a housefly when you look at just the head. I know, nature had fun creating this fella.
- What do they like to eat? Their larvae are voracious eaters of aphids and any smaller insects. The adult hoverflies though are excellent pollinators and feed on nectar.
- Parasitoid wasps – Parasitoid
- What do they look like? They can be so tiny that you barely notice them, with the largest being about ½ an inch long. Their colors also vary from a singular dark appearance to a bright, patterned color.
- What do they like to eat? The adult typically feeds on aphid honeydew, nectar and pollen but the larvae will eat whatever insect it is laid in/on, though certain species prefer aphids and caterpillars.
- Parasitoid flies – Parasitoid
- What do they look like? Their sizes range from 2-18 mm in length, making them one of the largest flies compared to the regular houseflies. They’re usually black or dull gray and like most flies, are pretty hairy.
- What do they like to eat? The adults feed on nectar most of the time. But their larvae latch onto pests as their host, where they receive their nutrients until they mature. Typically, they target armyworms and squash bugs but also target the helper bugs such as bees and ground beetles.
Note: This is by no means a complete list of all the beneficial bugs out there. But these are the common ones you’ll come across that can help reduce the number of pests in your garden.
How to Attract Beneficial Bugs into the Garden?
You want to basically create the ideal habitat for your soon-to-be bug friends by providing all their basic necessities, i.e., food, water, and shelter. Here are a few tips on how to get started:
a. For food, grow flowering plants, so there is pollen and nectar available for the bugs. These will encourage the adult insects to stick around the garden and reproduce, contributing to maintaining your pest problem longer. Plant a mixture of annuals and perennials scattered around the garden to keep their nectar supply continuous and reachable wherever the bugs go. Here is a list of flowers and herbs you should plant in your garden (Note: Only pick plants that grow locally in your area to ensure they will develop well):
| Aster Family | Mint Family | Mustard Family | Parsley Family |
| Sunflower | Lemon balm | Sweet alyssum | Queen Anne’s Lace |
| Chamomile | Thyme | Wild mustard | Dill |
| Coneflower | Lavender | Wallflower | Fennel |
| Cosmos | Oregano | Sweet rocket | Angelica |
| Calendula | Rosemary | Twin pod | Yarrow |
| Marigold | Winter savory | Mustard | Coriander |
b. For water, sprinkle plants early in the morning so the bugs have dewdrops to drink from before they start the day. Alternatively, you can make a bug bath for them:
Prepare the following items:
- 2-4 small, shallow dish
- A handful of pebbles
- A glass of water
Here’s how to make a bug bath:
- Place a thin layer of pebbles in the dish.
- Fill the dish with water, just enough to cover the bottom. Ensure that the pebbles are not entirely submerged, as this will act as a resting place for bugs while they drink.
- Place a few of these dishes spread out all over the garden. Refill as needed every other day, just make sure not to overfill and leave a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
c. For shelter, use dried bark as a mulch, grow groundcovers, plant hedgerows to shelter bugs, or build a bug hotel. Most of the time, the bugs will live within the plants in your garden so adding different forms of shelter is good for attracting a wide range of helpful guests. A bug hotel, in particular, is pretty easy to make:
Prepare the following items:
- A small wooden box. Note: ensure the wood is untreated.
- A couple of twigs
- Hollow wooden or bamboo stems
- A handful of pinecones
- A piece of cardboard
- Optional: chicken wire
Here’s how to make a bug hotel:
- Cut the cardboard into two small rectangular pieces that you can fit in the wooden box as sections.
- Fill one section with the hollow stems. Ensure the other end of the stem is covered to reduce excess moisture.
- Fill the next section with twigs.
- Fill the last section with pinecones.
- Ensure that each section is tightly packed to secure its position. If it’s a bit loose, add in more stems, twigs, and pinecones respectively.
- Optional: Cover the bug hotel entirely with chicken wire to prevent birds and other critters from feasting on your buddy helpers.
- Place the bug hotel about 3-6 feet off the ground near your garden.
Important note: It may take a few days to weeks before bugs start appearing in your garden. You can go the pesticide route, but make sure it’s targeted for the specific pest itself and spot spray them instead of spraying everywhere in the garden. This way, you reduce the chances of killing beneficial insects once they arrive but expect to tolerate a few damaged plants along the way.
There is also the option of purchasing beneficial bugs and introducing them into your garden, but there are more drawbacks to this than naturally attracting them. Unless you have a controlled and confined garden environment like a greenhouse, there is no guarantee your garden will meet the bugs’ needs sufficiently. For example, you can purchase adult ladybugs, but the chances of them migrating out of your garden are high if you don’t have sufficient food, water, shelter source for them.
Choosing to purchase the insects’ larvae and eggs is an advantage as they won’t have the free mobility to move out, relying on what your garden can provide for their needs. However, this is not a guarantee that they will not eventually move out if they find your garden lacking. If you choose to go this route, order your bugs from a reliable source who can give you good tips on getting you started.
Important note on purchasing bugs/larvae: ensure they are not an invasive species or likely to become one. Ladybugs are generally in most places but, you do not want to put a misidentified bug into your environment and be the one to blame for destroying an entire ecosystem. Buy from reputable sources if you must, and to be on the safe side, try attracting local bugs first regardless of how empty your garden may seem. There are soooo many bugs around you at all times, it is very, very unlikely that there aren’t any beneficial bugs already in your area.
Any Additional Tips?
- When purchasing bugs, make sure you are not introducing an invasive species! If they are native to the area, use them. Otherwise, you run the risk of destroying an entire ecosystem by introducing something that doesn’t belong in your area. This is just like putting goldfish or koi (carp) into the water system; they can take over and wreak havoc on your local habitat. Be really careful with this!! There are bugs that can kill entire tree species as they sweep across the country; the Emerald Ash Bore has destroyed so many ash trees, it’s crazy. Although the Emerald Ash Bore is not the type of bug we are looking to use in this article, do not take this lightly. Ensure the purchased bugs do not pose a threat of becoming an invasive species, please please please do your research.
- Avoid using any pesticides, even natural ones, because they will kill both pests and beneficial bugs. Those sprays are designed to tackle any and all insects unless specifically formulated. But If you really need to use pesticides, go for the less toxic ones first and only spot spray on the targeted pests in the early morning.
- Ensure to never spray pesticides on plants that are flowering. This will cause bugs to avoid visiting them because it still has residual chemicals on it.
- Allow some room for plant damage, prey will accumulate so you can continue feeding your predatory helper bugs. This is not a PSA for you to start destroying your plants, but more of a lose a little, gain a little scenario, to keep your beneficial bugs to stay, and take care of your garden. With that being said, remember to remove pest-riddled damaged plant parts.
- Consider planting pest- and disease-resistant varieties of plants. If you don’t want to leave it up to bugs to take care of the pests in your garden but you still want some to pollinate your plants, this is a good failsafe plan to ensure your plants don’t suffer under any kind of ailment.
- Always try to identify the bugs in your garden before trying to kill them. The majority of bugs are harmless to both you and your plants; it’s only the 1-3% that keeps destroying your crops and gives the whole bug-world a bad rep. So keep in mind that not all insects have world domination plan in mind; some are just chilling and living their lives.
- If you must use insecticides, check whether you already have beneficial bugs in the garden. Often, we overlook the helper bugs already present and handling the pest situation and we may end up killing them off rather than letting them take care of business.
Final Words
Beneficial insects are one of many solutions to maintain a garden sustainably in the long term. It may not be for everyone, but for those who would like to start working with nature instead of against her, it can be a pretty neat venture into entomology.
References:
INTERCROPPING WITH SUNFLOWERS TO ATTRACT BENEFICIAL INSECTS IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE (bioone.org)
https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2017/05/beneficial-insects-6/
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/beneficial-insects-and-other-arthropods-5-550/
https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/7150e/
http://npic.orst.edu/envir/beneficial/index.html
https://extension.arizona.edu/beneficial-insects
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/pnw550.pdf
https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/landscaping/pest-and-beneficial-insects/
https://www.almanac.com/beneficial-insects-garden
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