(Homesteading.news) It’s that time of year when green thumbs can get their hands dirty and grow beautiful vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and many more. Unfortunately, this is also a period of time when the garden pests are back to haunt the garden.
Some of the more common garden pests include aphids, caterpillars, grass hoppers, ants, and Colorado potato beetles. If you want to get rid of these pests without having to resort to chemical pesticide then consider using a process called biological control. This is when you have a living organism control the pest population. Not all insects are bad. There are plenty of good bugs out there that’ll eat the pests but leave the garden plants alone. In the following info-graphic by Organic Lesson, you can learn about seven such beneficial insects.
- Ladybugs
Preys on: aphids, whiteflies, chinch bugs, Colorado potato beetles
Attracted by: dills, dandelions, fern-leaf yellows, basket of gold - Ground Beetles
Preys on: slugs, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms
Attracted by: evening primrose, amaranthus, clover - Minute Pirate Bugs
Preys on: spider mites, aphids, thrips, caterpillars
Attracted by: caraway, fennel, alfafa, spearmint - Green Lacewings
Preys on: aphids, whiteflies, leafhoppers, mealybugs
Attracted by: dill, angelica, golden marguerite, coriander - Aphid Midges
Preys on: aphids
Attracted by: dill - Damsel Bugs
Preys on: caterpillars, mites, aphids, cabbage worms
Attracted by: caraway, peter pan goldenrod, spearmint, fennel - Braconid Wasps
Preys on: tobacco hornworms, caterpillars, aphids, tomato hornworms
Attracted by: fern-leaf yarrows, lemon balm, parsley, common yarrow
Keep in mind that you don’t have to necessarily buy these beneficial insects to have them in your garden. If the insect species are native to the area you live in then you may want to attract them to your garden by planting some of the plants and flower species referenced above.
The use of beneficial insects should not be considered an immediate solution to pest control, but if you introduce the insects to the garden well enough then they could become a sustainable solution for the long-term. Take action now before it’s too late to save your garden produce later in the year.
More:
- Keep Those Pesky Pests Out Of Your Garden Safely And Above All, Naturally
- Natural DIY Pest Control Measures For Your Garden
- These 10 Medicinal Herbs Should Be In Your Garden
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