Natural Insect Control

There are ways to keep insect pest populations at a controlled level without ever using any harmful substances. This way also requires that you do less work. When planting your garden always leave a little room for a couple of "companion plantings." Companion planting is a practice by which you include plant types that draw or lure beneficial insects into your vegetable garden. The following is just a few types of popular plants that you can include into your garden to lure beneficial insects.

Beneficial Insects & Companion Plants

Sweet Alyssum: This plant is very attractive when in bloom and provides a good nectar source for many adult beneficial insect species.

Basil: It's always a good idea to include basil in the vegetable garden at any time of year. The flowers are a rich source of pollen and nectar and you can use the leaves in the kitchen.

Dill: This is one of the best plants for luring beneficial insects into the garden. Dill flowers are very high in nectar and it is also one of the most useful of seasonings for cooking.

Mint: Any member of this family of plants is very useful in drawing beneficial insects into the garden.

Marigolds and Nasturtium These can handle a slew of buggy challenges. They thwart bugs that can harm your tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries including tomato hornworms, squash bugs, and whiteflies. The smell of marigolds will help to also deter rabbits and squirrels.

Yarrows (Achillea): Plant these to attract ladybugs and lacewings, both of which will kill and eat many bad insect pest's.

Here's even more ideas for insect control using companions and beneficial insects:

Below is a listing of beneficial insects, along with the plants that can be grown to attract them.

Brachonids, Chalcids and Ichneumon Wasps:

These small beneficial insects destroy leaf-eating caterpillars. You can attract them to your garden by planting carrots, celery, parsley, caraway and Queen Anne's lace. These plants are easy to grow, and some should be left to flower. It's the flower that attracts the insects.

Ladybugs

These common insects consume aphids, mites, whiteflies and scale. They can be attracted to your garden by planting members of the daisies, tansy or yarrow. Ladybugs are also available from catalogues online.

Lacewings

Lacewings are avid consumers of aphids, and their larva eat aphids and other varieties of other insect pests. They are attracted to flowers such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Lacewings can also be purchased online and released directly into your garden.

Hover-flies

Hover-flies are avid consumers of aphids, and the larva of hover-flies eat aphids and other insect pests. Like the Lacewings, they are attracted to flowers, such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Seeds for these flowers are available online, or at most garden centers.

Praying Mantis

These large insects have an appetite for most garden pests. Praying mantis eggs are set out in the garden where they hatch and quickly grow to adult size. The eggs are available through mail-order catalogues.