Attract Natural Garden Predators
Our gardens are home to many natural predators, from the familiar ladybugs and spiders to the less-familiar rove beetles and parasitic wasps. These natural predators, or “beneficials,” are your garden’s first line of defense.
Natural predators are important in all habitats, natural and artificial. In nature, the populations of wasps, ladybugs, spiders, and birds have long regulated the abundance of pests. For example, spiders control Douglas-fir tussock moth caterpillars, and birds prey on spongy moths. Under normal conditions, predators can prevent outbreaks when pest numbers are low to moderate, but problems can arise when a change in the weather or a natural disaster occurs, such as a fire, flood, or drought, which all disrupt the balance between prey and predator.
The Predator-Pest Balance
Much research has been carried out on predator-pest relationships, and it’s clear that systems with low biodiversity are particularly vulnerable to pest outbreaks. This is what we must try to avoid in our gardens. In my own growing space, I’m aiming for a mosaic of habitats to attract a wide range of beneficials to prey on different types of pests. Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen a steady increase in biodiversity, and now, it’s not unusual for me to wander around the garden and spot a variety of predators. prey animals, so I’ve had to learn to live with low levels of pests to keep my beneficials fed.
