A garden full of beneficials regulates itself almost by itself. Where ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies are at home, an aphid plague rarely breaks out, because it is eaten before it grows large. These helpers work for free, around the clock and more reliably than any spray.
The best route to them runs not through the catalogue but through the garden itself. Instead of buying beneficials and releasing them, you build them a habitat where they stay and multiply. Food, hiding places and a poison-free bed, at heart that is all it takes.
The unpaid helpers in the bed
Most beneficials do their greatest work in the larval stage, inconspicuous and often unnoticed. A single ladybird larva devours several hundred aphids on its way to becoming a beetle. The larvae of the lacewing are not called aphid lions for nothing.
That is exactly why it pays to keep the adults in the garden. Because wherever the ladybird, the lacewing or the hoverfly lays its eggs, the next generation of hungry larvae grows up, right at the aphid colony. Your job is only to make the garden appealing to them.
The most important beneficials and what they eat
Who works for you in the garden
- Ladybird
Beetle and larva eat aphids in masses. A ladybird devours several thousand in its life, its larva alone already hundreds.
- Lacewing
The delicate green lacewing lays its eggs at aphid colonies. Its larvae, the aphid lions, clear up thoroughly. The adults like to overwinter in nesting aids.
- Hoverfly
As an adult it pollinates flowers, as a larva it eats aphids. You recognise it by its hovering flight on the spot and its wasp-like markings.
- Ground beetle and earwig
The ground patrol. Ground beetles hunt slugs, larvae and eggs by night. Earwigs eat aphids and spider mites, above all on fruit trees.
On top come the larger helpers: wild bees and bumblebees as pollinators, hedgehogs and birds that devour slugs and caterpillars, and toads that go hunting in the damp corner. They all want the same as the insects, namely food and a safe hiding place.
How to build a habitat
Lay out flowering islands across the season
Sow and plant single, open flowers that bloom one after another from spring to autumn. Marigold, phacelia, borage, dill and nasturtium are true magnets for beneficials.
Allow wild corners
Let one corner of the garden run wild. Nettles, a few wild herbs and unmown grass offer shelter and are a nursery for many insects.
Pile up dead wood and stones
A heap of old wood, a few stones or a dry-stone wall give beetles, toads and wild bees hiding places and winter quarters. Once laid out, it looks after itself.
Leave the leaves
Do not sweep everything spotless in autumn. A pile of leaves in the corner is the winter bed for the hedgehog and for countless insects that swarm out again in spring.
Create a water spot
A shallow dish with stones as a landing place, or a small pond, supplies insects, birds and hedgehogs with water. A strong draw, especially in high summer.
Offer nesting aids
An insect hotel with clean drill holes and reed stems gives wild bees and lacewings a home. What matters is a sunny, rain-sheltered spot.
Using nesting aids properly
An insect hotel is more than decoration if you set it up right. It gives wild bees a nesting site and lacewings a winter quarter. Look for clean, splinter-free drill holes in hardwood and a sunny spot facing south-east.
Flowering islands are the heart of it
Without food, no beneficial stays. Adult ladybirds, lacewings and above all hoverflies need pollen and nectar, and that from spring right into autumn. So the single most important measure is a continuous supply of flowers.
These plants draw in beneficials
- Umbellifers for hoverflies
Dill, fennel and caraway with their flat flower umbels are a laid table for hoverflies and many small wild bees.
- Long bloomers for the whole season
Marigold and nasturtium bloom tirelessly until the frost and fill the gaps between the main flowering times.
- Bee pastures rich in nectar
Phacelia, borage and lavender hum all day. Phacelia can even be sown as green manure in empty beds.
- Late flowers for the autumn
Sunflower and other late bloomers provide food when much has already faded, and their seed heads feed the birds in winter.
You do not buy beneficials, you invite them. Offer food, hiding places and a poison-free bed, and they stay.
The core rule for beneficials
Frequently asked questions
How do I draw beneficials into my garden fastest?
Through flowers. Sow single, nectar-rich plants like marigold, phacelia and dill and leave a wild corner. Even in the first season, hoverflies and ladybirds move in if there is something to eat.
Do I have to buy and release beneficials?
In the open garden, usually not. Bought beneficials make sense mainly in the greenhouse against an acute infestation. Outdoors they fly off without a suitable habitat. Creating a habitat works more sustainably than releasing.
What exactly do ladybirds and lacewings eat?
Above all aphids, plus spider mites, thrips and other small soft-bodied creatures. The larvae are especially voracious. A single lacewing larva manages several hundred aphids over its development.
Does insecticide really harm more than it helps?
Yes. Beneficials are more sensitive and multiply more slowly than the fast-growing pests. After a spray, the aphids recover first, without their predators. Gardening poison-free is the basis for a stable balance.
How does the earwig pot work?
A flowerpot filled with straw or wood wool is hung upside down in the tree. Earwigs use it as a hiding place by day and hunt aphids by night. What matters is that the pot touches the trunk or branch, so the creatures can crawl in.
What do I do with an insect hotel in winter?
Just leave it hanging. Wild-bee larvae and other insects overwinter in the tubes and hatch in spring. A sunny, rain-sheltered spot is enough. You need not clean anything; nature sorts that out itself.
