Garden and vegetable garden helpers: insects, animals and birds
To make your garden shine with new color using unseen helpers, start by understanding that insects are not just tiny creatures flying among flowers. They are unseen protectors that keep plants healthy by fighting pests.
To attract these helpful insects, create good conditions for them. One simple trick is to use pheromones or special mixtures that lure insects to your garden.
But remember, insecticides are popular, yet they kill both pests and helpful insects. Pests come back faster than their natural enemies, so avoid chemical use when possible.
Helpful insects play a big role in your garden's health. Small ground beetles are real helpers. They are tiny but eat many pests like snails and midge larvae, devouring up to 100 pests daily.
To bring ground beetles in, leave fallen leaves, sawdust, or shavings nearby. These give them safe places to hide. Fire beetles also help. They stay in trees, feeding on caterpillars and other pests that eat leaves. Their presence keeps your trees strong.
Ladybugs are known for luck, but they are also great at fighting aphids. These small beetles and their larvae can destroy thousands of aphids every season. To attract ladybugs, plant dill and calendula, which draw them in.
Lacewings are another key ally. During different stages of their life, they eat pests like spider mites and aphids. As adults, they prefer honeydew and pollen. Hoverflies also help protect your garden from aphids. They often live in lawns, flower beds, and in wood shavings. To attract them, plant yellow flowers that catch their eye.
The forest bug is useful, too. It naturally guards trees by destroying spider mite egg clusters. Spiders, which many fear, are friends in healthy gardens. They hunt woodlice, caterpillars, and other pests. To bring spiders in, make a small pond with tall plants nearby. It gives them shelter.
Animals are helpful as well. Some creature may seem like a pest but do good work. Moles are often seen as pests, but they loosen soil and add oxygen and moisture. They also eat harmful insect larvae like those of May beetles. If moles don’t cause much damage, it’s best to leave them alone.
You can plant hazel or set up vibrations to scare them away. Frogs are helpful, too. They eat spiders, flies, mosquitoes, and beetles. At night, they hunt caterpillars and snails.
To attract frogs, build a small pond with stones and plants, making sure it doesn’t dry out. Hedgehogs are cute helpers that eat wireworms, caterpillars, leaf beetles, and even mice. To attract them, leave out dried cat or dog food.
Hedgehogs like to live in bushes or hedges, where they can stay safe during winter.
Birds are often overlooked, but they do a lot to keep pests under control. They are very useful in protecting your garden.