Encouraging beneficial creatures in the garden
Beneficial creatures are the gardener's best allies: instead of laboriously fighting pests, you can support their natural enemies – then much of it sorts itself out. A ladybird and its larvae devour thousands of aphids, hedgehogs and toads eat slugs, parasitic wasps keep caterpillars and whitefly in check.
The key is a lively, diverse garden that offers these helpers food, shelter and nesting sites. Anyone who refrains from "tidying up" everything and spraying is rewarded with a stable balance.
In short
- Beneficial creatures keep pests in check naturally – without any poison.
- Important: ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, ground beetles, hedgehogs, birds, toads and wild bees.
- Encourage them with flowering areas, native plants, shelter and water.
- The most important contribution: go without chemical poisons.
The most important beneficial creatures
- Ladybirds & lacewings: their larvae eat aphids in large quantities.
- Hoverflies: look like little wasps; their larvae devour aphids and the adults pollinate.
- Parasitic wasps: parasitise aphids, caterpillars and whitefly.
- Ground beetles & earwigs: devour slug eggs, larvae and aphids.
- Hedgehogs, toads & slow-worms: eat slugs and insects.
- Birds: tits and co. feed countless caterpillars and aphids to their young.
- Wild and honey bees: indispensable for pollination and therefore the harvest.
How to encourage beneficial creatures
- Flowers all year round: native perennials, herbs and flowering strips provide pollen and nectar from spring to autumn.
- Create shelter: piles of deadwood and stones, leaf corners, dry-stone walls and hedges offer hiding places and winter quarters.
- Nesting aids: an insect hotel, nest boxes for birds, clay pots filled with wood wool for earwigs.
- Water source: a shallow drinking spot with an exit aid helps insects, birds and hedgehogs.
- Allow wild corners: do not mow and tidy every nook – a little "mess" is habitat.
- No poison: chemical insecticides often kill beneficial creatures more than pests – the single most important point.
Tip
In autumn, leave leaves and spent perennials standing – ladybirds, lacewings and hedgehogs overwinter in them. Best to postpone the "tidy-up" to spring.
Caution
Even a single use of poison can tip the painstakingly built balance. Never use beneficial creatures and chemical agents together.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly does success come?
A balance takes one to two years. At the start there may be individual pest peaks – be patient and avoid poison.
Can I buy beneficial creatures too?
Yes, e.g. ladybird larvae or parasitic wasps for the greenhouse. It is more sustainable, though, to design the garden so they come and stay on their own.
A beneficial-friendly garden and strong young plants complement each other perfectly. We raise our young plants to be robust and healthy.