Good Bugs and How to Attract Them

[Susan BBPM]

I'm interested in learning more about which bugs we want in the garden (and how to attract them) and those we don't (and how to repel them).

I know it's more complex than that - you need some of the bad bugs in order to give the good bugs that keep them in check a reason to come.

So for example, I understand that ladybirds are good because they eat greenfly. I also know that they love nettles - reason being that greenfly live on nettles. Kill off or repel the greenfly and you won't get ladybirds. This leaves your garden vulnerable to a major attack of greenfly as it'll take a while for the ladybirds to come back. With this in mind, I allow nettles to run riot in part of my garden.

So when it comes to cabbage whites presumably I don't want to eradicate them. I want to repel them from the crops I don't want damage but allow them to breed on sacrificial crops in order to attract their predators. With this in mind I grow nasturtiums everywhere and net my brassicas.

Presumably this means I shouldn't panic the moment I see a harmful insect - you need to let some survive in order to attract their predators?

I really just wanted to get the ball rolling with this discussion so that people could share their thoughts and ideas. I'm entering my 4th year of chemical free gardening so my understanding comes largely from books rather than experience.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Here's an idea/observation that I'm toying with.

We've noticed that our sunflowers are always full of earwigs. I've read that earwigs are great for keeping aphids under control in fruit trees. So, presumably planting sunflowers around the borders of my fruit tree 'orchard' could help?

Another, unrelated thought...

Last couple of years we used nematodes to control slugs (big problem in our wet climate). However, it has dawned on me that we're eradicating a food source for birds, hedgehogs etc and they may stop coming. This means if we stop using nematodes we could see huge numbers of slugs.

With this in mind we're trying beer traps this year and so far it's working extremely well. So now I'm thinking about planting sacrificial crops that slugs love to attract them all to one place thus giving predators a reason to come? So slugs traps around my crops and flowers but abundant food for slugs elsewhere in the garden?

 

[Tetters]

I'm all for attracting insects to the garden, but when it comes to slugs I have a loathing! Our slugs can do as they like in the flower beds, but if they go near our food crops - nematodes are too good for them, and if those are captured by me it's bug eat bug - and I put them in a salt pot. You would probably do best keeping the nematodes in the veggie area.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Yes, I feel a bit dim now you point it out! Makes perfect sense to put nematodes in crop beds but leave the rest for the hedgehogs.

 

[Tetters]

Wrong to feel dim - your questioning the principle was nowt but admirable. There are lots of creatures that eat slugs, but as well as looking after nature, we have to feed ourselves too, and that's what we need to do, especially under the present grim circumstances.
Hopefully a few of the others will share their own views

 

[zigs]

I was thinking it would be a good idea to plant out a few cabbages and broccoli just for the butterflies. Be lovely to have bucketloads of them flying about

 

[Tetters]

I was thinking it would be a good idea to plant out a few cabbages and broccoli just for the butterflies. Be lovely to have bucketloads of them flying about

Yep....... as long as they know that my cabbages are out of bounds ...they can go in the vicinity of the hardy fuchsias and eryngiums!

 

[Eeilee]

I’ve recently started setting out sacrificial plants in pots.
Broccoli being one this year lol

 

[Tetters]

I’ve recently started setting out sacrificial plants in pots.
Broccoli being one this year lol

Yeah, it has to be done. Maybe we'll be able to salvage a few stalks that remain for our dinner

 

[lifegardener]

I'm interested in learning more about which bugs we want in the garden (and how to attract them) and those we don't (and how to repel them).

I know it's more complex than that - you need some of the bad bugs in order to give the good bugs that keep them in check a reason to come.

So for example, I understand that ladybirds are good because they eat greenfly. I also know that they love nettles - reason being that greenfly live on nettles. Kill off or repel the greenfly and you won't get ladybirds. This leaves your garden vulnerable to a major attack of greenfly as it'll take a while for the ladybirds to come back. With this in mind, I allow nettles to run riot in part of my garden.

So when it comes to cabbage whites presumably I don't want to eradicate them. I want to repel them from the crops I don't want damage but allow them to breed on sacrificial crops in order to attract their predators. With this in mind I grow nasturtiums everywhere and net my brassicas.

Presumably this means I shouldn't panic the moment I see a harmful insect - you need to let some survive in order to attract their predators?

I really just wanted to get the ball rolling with this discussion so that people could share their thoughts and ideas. I'm entering my 4th year of chemical free gardening so my understanding comes largely from books rather than experience.

Provide a mixture of vegetables, flowers, herbs, perennials. A balanced garden - with diversity - will require less interference from us.