22/01/2026
Great little article about predatory insects and how they benefit the garden..
Predatory insects provide natural pest control when companion flowers invite them into your garden. These nine beneficial hunters keep pest populations in check without chemicals.
LADYBUG + TOMATOES
Devours aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Attracted to yarrow, dill, fennel, and tansy flowers.
PARASITIC WASP + CABBAGE
Lays eggs inside cabbage worms and aphids, killing them from within. Attracted to sweet alyssum, dill, coriander, and Queen Anne's lace.
GREEN LACEWING + PEPPERS
Both larvae and adults consume aphids, thrips, and small caterpillars. Attracted to dill, coriander, angelica, and dandelions.
SOLDIER BEETLE + CUCUMBERS
Eats cucumber beetles, aphids, and caterpillar eggs. Attracted to goldenrod, asters, and native wildflowers.
GROUND BEETLE + BEANS
Nocturnal hunter that consumes cutworms, slugs, and root maggots. Attracted to permanent groundcover and white clover.
ASSASSIN BUG + SQUASH
Pierces and drains squash bugs, stink bugs, and beetles. Attracted to sunflowers, coneflowers, and milkweed.
PRAYING MANTIS + EGGPLANT
Ambush predator eating caterpillars, beetles, and flies. Attracted to tall grasses and flowering shrubs for egg case attachment.
HOVERFLY + LETTUCE
Larvae consume aphids while adults pollinate. Attracted to daisies, marigolds, and flat-topped flowers like yarrow.
SPINED SOLDIER BUG + CORN
Pierces and feeds on corn earworms, armyworms, and beetle larvae. Attracted to goldenrod, amaranth, and sunflowers.
Plant nectar-rich flowers throughout the garden, avoid broad-spectrum pesticides, and let predators restore natural balance.