🐞 Good Bugs for the Garden

Each spring, it’s exciting to see plants begin to sprout from the ground and new leaves unfurl. However, shortly after they emerge, I often notice aphids—an insect pest—showing up, eager to suck the life out of the newly emerging plants. In the past, as soon as I spotted them, I would grab some natural insecticide, like neem oil, hoping to rid my plants of the aphids. Unfortunately, this method didn’t always work. After researching, I found a fantastic book at the library called “Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden” by Jessica Walliser. This book taught me an important lesson about beneficial insects that eat aphids and how to create a healthy ecosystem in my yard to attract them. Two key lessons I took away from the book are:

1. Grow plants that attract beneficial bugs: Ladybugs and lacewings are voracious aphid eaters. They are attracted to plants such as fennel, yarrow, cosmos, dill, coriander, calendula, chives, and alyssum. 

2. Let nature do its thing: Instead of intervening immediately to try to eliminate the aphids, I now wait a few days. Sure enough, shortly after I see the aphids, ladybugs, and their larvae arrive and begin devouring the pests. 

When I let nature do its thing, the results are remarkable. In the photo below, you can see a plant covered in aphids. After waiting a few days, ladybugs arrived, laid eggs on the aphid-infested plant, and once the eggs hatched, the larvae feasted on the pesky aphids.

If you visit the Rust Belt Natives plant pop-up sale in my garden this month, you may have the chance to see this ecosystem in action. I hope to see you there, and happy springtime gardening!

Note from the author: This article is also featured in the May 2025 Bulletin, for the Gardening Advice and Earthly Delights column