If you want to keep aphids, scale insects and other annoying garden pests at bay without chemical insecticides, you would do well to encourage their natural predators. Ladybugs are particularly hard-working and friendly pest killers. There are several methods to attract them.
Ladybugs love dandelions
The Paradox of Beneficial Attraction
Basically, the easiest way to direct animals to where you want them is to use their eating preferences. Ladybugs are no different than dogs. But if you want to use ladybugs specifically against the pests that they like to eat, that is of course problematic. By promoting aphids and giving ladybugs a rich table, at first glance you have gained nothing in terms of pest decimation.
But there are alternatives. The following methods for promoting ladybugs are presented below:
- Overgrown piece of garden with free development of pests
- Cultivate certain pollen plants
- create shelters
Overgrown piece of garden to encourage aphids and ladybirds
There is a trick to solving the paradox of attracting beneficial insects: you can set up a buffet for the ladybirds separate from the rest of the garden. Let a back corner of your garden become completely overgrown and let aphids, scale insects and the like live freely there. This gives you the chance to get many ladybugs into the main part of your garden. In contrast to most louse species, the beetles are very mobile thanks to their ability to fly. The naturalness of the aphid and ladybug garden is also effective in that aphids prefer wild plants as hosts.
Cultivate certain pollen plants
Although ladybugs are primarily carnivores, they also feed on pollen. By including certain flowering plants in your garden that ladybugs like to pollen from, you can increase your population over time. The good thing about this method is that you encourage ladybirds even in years with few aphids. Because ladybugs mainly resort to plant food when other animal food is scarce.
Plants that ladybugs like to fly to are some herbs and tuberous vegetables, which you also have in the kitchen. For example:
- chives
- dill
- Caraway seed
- mint
- chamomile
- coriander
- fennel
- garlic
In addition, ladybugs like the following flowers, which at the same time beautify your beds:
- marigolds
- sea lavender
- poppy
- yarrow
- Dandelion (Here, of course, you have to weigh things up - after all, dandelion is a thorn in the side of some garden owners or in the lawn. However, it is also useful as a healthy wild lettuce plant!)
create shelters
As with attracting beneficial and biodiversity-enhancing birds, it is wise to welcome ladybugs with appropriate shelters. Autumnal piles of leaves, dense bushes, insect hotels and unplastered natural stone walls, rafters and cracks in house walls offer the beetles good quarters for the winter. With a bit of luck, the beetles will retreat to such spots during the cold season and produce new generations right in your garden the following year.