How to Attract Beneficial Insects for Natural Pest Control

Tired of battling aphids, hornworms, and other destructive pests in your garden? The secret to a healthier, more resilient garden isn’t in a spray bottle. It’s in recruiting a team of tiny allies. This guide will show you how to stop fighting pests and start building a thriving garden ecosystem where beneficial insects do the hard work for you.

	Garden Pest	Beneficial Insect(s)
	Aphids	Green Lacewings, Hoverflies, Ladybugs Green Lacewings How to Attract: Larvae are called "aphid lions." Attract adults by planting cosmos, angelica, and coreopsis. You can also purchase lacewing eggs to release in your garden. Hoverflies How to Attract: The larvae are slug-like and devour aphids. Adult flies are pollinators that look like small bees. Attract them with sweet alyssum, parsley, and yarrow. Ladybugs How to Attract: Plant dill, cilantro, yarrow, and sweet alyssum. Avoid pesticides, which kill their larvae (the heaviest feeders). A small patch of dandelions can also attract them.
	Cabbage Worms	Braconid Wasps, Trichogramma Wasps Braconid Wasps How to Attract: Similar to Trichogramma wasps, they parasitize caterpillars. Attract them with plants from the carrot family (dill, fennel) and aster family (daisies). Trichogramma Wasps How to Attract: These tiny wasps lay eggs inside pest eggs. Attract them with small-flowered nectar plants like dill, parsley, sweet alyssum, and Queen Anne's Lace.
	Cucumber Beetles	Tachinid Flies Tachinid Flies How to Attract: These flies parasitize the adult beetles. Attract them by planting dill, parsley, and other members of the carrot family.
	Cutworms	Ground Beetles, Predatory Nematodes Ground Beetles How to Attract: These nocturnal predators will hunt cutworms on the soil surface at night. Provide shelter for them with rocks, logs, or dense ground cover. Predatory Nematodes How to Attract: Purchase and apply Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes to the soil. They actively hunt down cutworms below the surface. Keep soil moist after application.
	Fungus gnats	Beneficial Nematodes, Hypoaspis Miles Beneficial Nematodes How to Attract: Ideal for houseplants and greenhouses. Apply to moist soil. The nematodes enter the larvae and eliminate them, breaking the life cycle. Hypoaspis Miles How to Attract: A soil-dwelling mite that feeds on fungus gnat larvae. Purchase and release onto the soil surface of pots or garden beds.
	Grasshoppers	Spiders & Birds Spiders & Birds How to Attract: Attract birds with feeders, birdbaths, and shrubs for cover. Encourage spiders by mulching. A healthy, diverse ecosystem is the best defense.
	Japanese beetles	Beneficial Nematodes, Milky Spore Bacterium Beneficial Nematodes How to Attract: Apply Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes to your lawn in late summer when grubs are most active. Water the lawn well before and after application. Milky Spore Bacterium How to Attract: This is a long-term soil treatment, not an insect. Apply milky spore powder to your lawn. It infects and kills the grubs, reducing future beetle populations.
	Mealybugs	Mealybug Destroyer Mealybug Destroyer How to Attract: This specialized lady beetle is a voracious predator of mealybugs. Attract them with plants from the sunflower family like daisies, asters, and sunflowers.
	Scale Insects	Ladybugs, Parasitic Wasps Ladybugs How to Attract: Especially effective against soft scale. Create a welcoming habitat with flowering herbs and avoid the use of broad-spectrum pesticides. Parasitic Wasps How to Attract: Many tiny wasp species parasitize scale. Plant umbel-shaped flowers like dill, fennel, and Queen Anne's Lace to provide nectar for the adult wasps.
	Slugs & Snails	Ground Beetles, Rove Beetles Ground Beetles How to Attract: Provide shelter with rocks, logs, mulch, or low-growing perennial ground cover such as creeping thyme or ajuga. These nocturnal hunters will hide during the day and hunt at night. Rove Beetles How to Attract: Attracted to compost piles and decaying organic matter. Maintaining a healthy compost area can provide a habitat for these predators.
	Spider Mites	Minute Pirate Bugs, Predatory Mites Minute Pirate Bugs How to Attract: These generalist predators also eat thrips and aphids. Attract them by planting goldenrod, yarrow, and alfalfa in or near your garden. Predatory Mites How to Attract: Purchase and release specific species like Phytoseiulus persimilis. They thrive in high humidity; misting plants can help them and deter spider mites.
	Squash Bugs	Spiders, Tachinid Flies Spiders How to Attract: Encourage spiders by mulching and avoiding excessive tidiness. They are fantastic generalist predators that will catch squash bug nymphs. Shrubs like lilac and small fruit trees also provide excellent habitat. Tachinid Flies How to Attract: These flies lay their eggs on adult squash bugs. The larvae then burrow into the host. Attract them with dill, parsley, clover, and other herbs in the carrot family.
	Thrips	Minute Pirate Bugs, Predatory Mites Minute Pirate Bugs How to Attract: A key predator for thrips. Plant caraway, fennel, spearmint, and goldenrod to provide them with nectar and shelter. Predatory Mites How to Attract: These mites are excellent for controlling thrips, especially in greenhouses or on houseplants. They are often purchased and released directly onto affected plants.
	Tomato Hornworms	Braconid Wasps Braconid Wasps How to Attract: If you see a hornworm with white, rice-like cocoons on its back, leave it! It's a nursery for new wasps that will hunt more hornworms. Plant dill and parsley to feed the adults.
	Whiteflies	Ladybugs & Lacewings, Parasitic Wasps Ladybugs & Lacewings How to Attract: These generalist predators also eat whiteflies. Plant a diverse range of flowering herbs and flowers, such as fennel and cosmos, to attract a variety of helpers. Parasitic Wasps How to Attract: A specialist predator often used in greenhouses. Attract them and other parasitic wasps by planting marigolds, zinnias, and sweet alyssum.

Share Beneficial Insects Infographic

Help spread awareness about the importance of beneficial insects in your garden. Share this easy-to-understand infographic with your community, friends, and family to highlight how ladybugs, lacewings, and other natural predators support pollination, reduce pests, and promote healthy, eco-friendly gardening.