It’s spring, and your yard is bursting with new plant growth. Along with billowing flowers and new foliage on trees and shrubs come unwanted bugs that may multiply rapidly if not kept in check. One of the easiest ways to prevent significant damage is to use Mother Nature’s pest managers – the natural enemies!
Also referred to as beneficials, these natural enemies are the predators, parasites, and pathogens (disease producing organisms) that control insect and mite pests. They include many species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles, as well as insects and spiders. It’s good to learn what they look like. Consider printing out this photo list of beneficials and take it outdoors to see if you can find any of them in your yard. Also helpful is this list of some common pests and their natural enemies.
A healthy garden likely has many of these beneficials. If not, learn how to invite natural enemies into your garden and how to protect them once they’re there.