Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control
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- Create Date：2022-01-23 16:21:08
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jessica Walliser
- ISBN：0760371717
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Summary
This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser's award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden。
With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research， insights， and voices—learn how to create a healthy， balanced， and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides。
After a fascinating introduction to the predator and prey cycle and its importance to both wild ecosystems and home gardens， you'll meet dozens of pest-munching beneficial insects （the predators） that feast on garden pests （their prey）。 From ladybugs and lacewings to parasitic wasps and syrphid flies， these good guys of the bug world keep the natural system of checks and balances in prime working order。 They help limit pest damage and also serve a valuable role in the garden's food web。 But， they won't call your garden home if you don't have the resources they need to survive。
With a hearty population of beneficial insects present in your garden， you'll say goodbye to common garden pests like aphids， cabbage worms， bean beetles， leafhoppers， and hornworms， without reaching for a spray can。 To encourage these good guys to stick around and do their important work， you'll learn how to create a welcoming habitat and fill your garden with the best plants to support them。
Inside you'll find:
Bug profiles introducing dozens of beneficial insects and the down-and-dirty details on how they catch and eat their prey
Plant profiles featuring the best plants for supporting beneficials
Interviews with entomologists who focus their life's work on understanding the value of insects， including Doug Tallamy， Paula Shrewsbury， Leslie Allee， Dan Herms， and others
An inspiring look at how plants and insects intersect in the most incredible ways
Why gardening for bugs is just as important to the greater world as it is to your garden
Tips for creating insectary plantings and borders to support a broad range of beneficials
The acclaimed first edition of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden ushered in a new way to garden; one that appreciates and understands of the power of returning a natural balance to the garden。 This revised and updated edition continues to herald and expands on that same important message。
With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research， insights， and voices—learn how to create a healthy， balanced， and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides。
After a fascinating introduction to the predator and prey cycle and its importance to both wild ecosystems and home gardens， you'll meet dozens of pest-munching beneficial insects （the predators） that feast on garden pests （their prey）。 From ladybugs and lacewings to parasitic wasps and syrphid flies， these good guys of the bug world keep the natural system of checks and balances in prime working order。 They help limit pest damage and also serve a valuable role in the garden's food web。 But， they won't call your garden home if you don't have the resources they need to survive。
With a hearty population of beneficial insects present in your garden， you'll say goodbye to common garden pests like aphids， cabbage worms， bean beetles， leafhoppers， and hornworms， without reaching for a spray can。 To encourage these good guys to stick around and do their important work， you'll learn how to create a welcoming habitat and fill your garden with the best plants to support them。
Inside you'll find:
Bug profiles introducing dozens of beneficial insects and the down-and-dirty details on how they catch and eat their prey
Plant profiles featuring the best plants for supporting beneficials
Interviews with entomologists who focus their life's work on understanding the value of insects， including Doug Tallamy， Paula Shrewsbury， Leslie Allee， Dan Herms， and others
An inspiring look at how plants and insects intersect in the most incredible ways
Why gardening for bugs is just as important to the greater world as it is to your garden
Tips for creating insectary plantings and borders to support a broad range of beneficials
The acclaimed first edition of Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden ushered in a new way to garden; one that appreciates and understands of the power of returning a natural balance to the garden。 This revised and updated edition continues to herald and expands on that same important message。
Reviews
Kelly Paradis
，
Any gardener who has a love/hate relationship with bugs needs to give this book a read。 I've just started to ramp up outdoor gardening， and have had some trouble with various pests。 Filled with gorgeous， high resolution pictures， this book explains exactly why you should let nature take it's course （in most cases） and not to overreact and just spray everything with pesticides。 I especially loved the plant profiles which gave me tons of ideas for my garden this year， and I've already ordered seve Any gardener who has a love/hate relationship with bugs needs to give this book a read。 I've just started to ramp up outdoor gardening， and have had some trouble with various pests。 Filled with gorgeous， high resolution pictures， this book explains exactly why you should let nature take it's course （in most cases） and not to overreact and just spray everything with pesticides。 I especially loved the plant profiles which gave me tons of ideas for my garden this year， and I've already ordered several sets of seeds based on this book。 I also appreciated that there was a guide on optimizing positioning of each plant， which is something I really hadn't thought about much。 I know I will be coming back to this book all year long as I try these new plants and strategies。 Thank you to Jessica Walliser， Quarto， and Edelweiss for free access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brandi
，
I have been drawn to beautiful gardens all my life。 I have not really had the opportunity to create my own， but I still love learning about them。 I was curious about this book because I know you cannot have a thriving garden without a healthy bug population as well。 This book does an excellent job of teaching you about both and brings a healthy dose of balance。 There are excellent photos provided for this novice who has no idea what I am looking for。 A lot of information is provided that can eit I have been drawn to beautiful gardens all my life。 I have not really had the opportunity to create my own， but I still love learning about them。 I was curious about this book because I know you cannot have a thriving garden without a healthy bug population as well。 This book does an excellent job of teaching you about both and brings a healthy dose of balance。 There are excellent photos provided for this novice who has no idea what I am looking for。 A lot of information is provided that can either be taken in all at once， or more topically， if desired。 Chapters are ordered out in a logical fashion and the content is written for all to understand。 This is encouraging for me， because again， novice here！ When I am ready and able to set up my own garden， this will be one of my go-to resources。I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own， freely given。 。。。more
Annie
，
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden is an accessible and logical guide to natural pest control for gardeners written by Jessica Walliser。 Due out 1st Feb 2022 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint， it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback format。This is the second/revised edition of the book which was first published in 2013。 I don't own a copy of the first edition for comparison， so the review covers only the second。 The Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader。 Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden is an accessible and logical guide to natural pest control for gardeners written by Jessica Walliser。 Due out 1st Feb 2022 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint， it's 208 pages and will be available in paperback format。This is the second/revised edition of the book which was first published in 2013。 I don't own a copy of the first edition for comparison， so the review covers only the second。 The layout is inviting and logically arranged。 The introduction covers the basics of entomology and concepts: what are beneficial insects， how they work and what they eat （harmful bugs， mostly）。 The intro is followed by a bestiary with some of the most common groups of insectivorous and parasitoid bugs。 The book is lavishly illustrated with clear color photos throughout。 The photos show featured insects in various life stages including eggs， pupa， and adults which make identification easier。 Tips and extra info is included in highlighted text boxes throughout。 Photo captions are well written and easy to understand。 The chapter on useful plants for native pollinators and parasitoids has been written with a good eye toward garden design and diversity。 There are a lot of plants which are beautiful and useful and which people will want to plant in their gardens （instead of hiding the weedy looking ones）。 There's a lot of info about companion planting and I was interested to see that the author covers purchasable controls and predator species。There's an abbreviated resource and links list in the back of the book which is mostly slanted toward readers in the USA but will also provide relevant info for readers living in other parts of the world。 The book also includes a cross referenced index。No single book is going to be the holy grail of gardening information; this one does a good job of deep diving into an important （and often overlooked） aspect of natural controls and organic methods。 Five stars。 This would make a good selection for public or school library acquisition， makers groups， gardening and activity groups， home and community gardeners， smallholders， and the like。 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Sandie Graham
，
Jessica did a wonderful job making creepy crawly bugs fascinating， I actually began looking for the “good “ bugs in my garden and was excited when I saw them not repulsed and wanting them to die！ I have a whole new perspective！ Thank you 😊 I am looking forward to planting flowers to invite beneficial bugs to my yard 😉
Lynn Davidson
，
There is so much important and fascinating information in this book about the beneficial bugs needed in one's garden。 It begins with the author telling how， as a horticulturist， she came to understand the best method of controlling harmful bugs instead of spraying them。 There is a natural balance to be achieved。 Chapters:All About Beneficials;Beneficial Bug Profiles;Gardening For Bugs;Plant Profiles;Your Beneficial Border;Companion Planting;Putting It All Together;The Commercial Stuff。Fabulous i There is so much important and fascinating information in this book about the beneficial bugs needed in one's garden。 It begins with the author telling how， as a horticulturist， she came to understand the best method of controlling harmful bugs instead of spraying them。 There is a natural balance to be achieved。 Chapters:All About Beneficials;Beneficial Bug Profiles;Gardening For Bugs;Plant Profiles;Your Beneficial Border;Companion Planting;Putting It All Together;The Commercial Stuff。Fabulous illustrations using photography。I used this book for prompt "includes a garden" in the 52bookclub challenge。 。。。more
Anna
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Solid resource
Scott Lupo
，
A book worthy of the home library。 Great pictures throughout and a friendly， amusing style of writing。 Lots of great information for creating an insectory border that incorporates aesthetics and practicality。 While it is about natural pest control， that is almost the side effect you get from creating a diverse ecosystem that includes both form and function。 Love the bugs！
Randi
，
“I now garden for someone else instead of just for me。 I used to go to the nursery and buy a plant because I liked the flower color or I thought it would look good next to my patio or I needed color in September or I liked the plant’s texture or form or whatever。 Every plant I bought， I bought for me and me alone。 But now I know how a beautiful garden lives in harmony with billions of insects。 I choose plants for them; I garden for them as much as I do for myself。 Because I know that without ins “I now garden for someone else instead of just for me。 I used to go to the nursery and buy a plant because I liked the flower color or I thought it would look good next to my patio or I needed color in September or I liked the plant’s texture or form or whatever。 Every plant I bought， I bought for me and me alone。 But now I know how a beautiful garden lives in harmony with billions of insects。 I choose plants for them; I garden for them as much as I do for myself。 Because I know that without insects， the world wouldn’t be。 Without us， however … well， who would notice？” 。。。more
PottWab Regional Library
，
SM
Karen Soanes
，
Incredibly helpful！
Karly Simmons Fifarek
，
I recommend this book to any gardener， any nature lover， any curious person。 My eyes have been opened to the predator prey cycle of the insect world。 This book is educational。 This book is a resource for how to support a healthy ecosystem in your yard。
Pixie Kris
，
It's a shame this book was based so strongly on North American bugs， however it was still an interesting read。 It's a shame this book was based so strongly on North American bugs， however it was still an interesting read。 。。。more
Beatriz Moisset
，
Informative and entertaining。 This book is of great help to gardeners who want to have a healthy garden， free from pesticides。 They can pick up a variety of interesting facts about bugs in the garden along the way。Well written and， in general， well documented。 However there are a few details that could be changed in the next edition。1。 The syrphid fly on a yellow flower at the end of the syrphid fly section belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae。 It is not an aphid eater。 Members of the subfamily Informative and entertaining。 This book is of great help to gardeners who want to have a healthy garden， free from pesticides。 They can pick up a variety of interesting facts about bugs in the garden along the way。Well written and， in general， well documented。 However there are a few details that could be changed in the next edition。1。 The syrphid fly on a yellow flower at the end of the syrphid fly section belongs to the subfamily Eristalinae。 It is not an aphid eater。 Members of the subfamily Syrphinae feed on aphids but not the Eristalinae。2。 In my opinion predatory wasps deserve their own section， instead of a passing remark under parasitic wasps。 They consume significant amounts of insects。3。 Praying mantids do not belong in the order Orthoptera but in the order Mantodea。 That is an old classification。 See: http://bugguide。net/node/view/342391。 Perhaps， the Chinese mantis is more common than the European one。 。。。more
P。
，
I didn't read this straight through because I can't read about bugs during my lunch break， but I did use it to make a plant list for the library garden。 It is extra useful because the author lives in my state so the plant suggestions are targeted to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I didn't read this straight through because I can't read about bugs during my lunch break， but I did use it to make a plant list for the library garden。 It is extra useful because the author lives in my state so the plant suggestions are targeted to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 。。。more
Kelly Brenner
，
With a quick glance through the book， it’s easy to see it’s up to the typical high standard of Timber Press books and full of wonderful and inspiring images of beautiful bug-friendly gardens。As this is not a typical sort of book that gardeners might be drawn to， （usually it’s more along the lines of how to get rid of bugs instead of attract them） Walliser makes several confessions in the introduction which states how she came to love and respect insects after many years of hating and vanquishing With a quick glance through the book， it’s easy to see it’s up to the typical high standard of Timber Press books and full of wonderful and inspiring images of beautiful bug-friendly gardens。As this is not a typical sort of book that gardeners might be drawn to， （usually it’s more along the lines of how to get rid of bugs instead of attract them） Walliser makes several confessions in the introduction which states how she came to love and respect insects after many years of hating and vanquishing the little beasts。Following an introduction to beneficial insects， how they live and how we can make appropriate habitat， is a meet-the-bug section。 Here Walliser profiles the various families and types of species covering a range from things we might be familiar with such as stink bugs， hover flies and robber flies， to the tiny ones that likely escape the notice of most such as the minute pirate bugs。 There are also insects we already try to attract such as dragonflies and lady beetles。 While this chapter is very broad and doesn’t focus on any specific species， it’s enlightening to see so many insects are so helpful to us as gardeners。If you’ve made it through this much of the book with all the bug-eat-bug descriptions and buggy photos， you’ll be thoroughly rewarded because the next section of the book focuses on how to garden for those beneficial insects。 Here Walliser discusses why one of the key concepts of insect gardening is diversity， diversity， diversity。 These are many of the same lessons you may have already learned in the Xerces Society book， Attracting Native Pollinators。 In fact these two books complement each other so nicely， if I were to gift one to someone， I would certainly include the other。 In Walliser’s book I learned quite a bit about dietary needs of insects and the differences in types of nectar。Walliser neatly teaches us how insects eat and what plants provide in the way of food; this knowledge builds a good foundation for helping us make educated choices when looking at plants at the nursery or seed catalog。 An included summary of some of the very best plants is useful and while some of the plants listed are specific species， others are simply listed at the family level because they include so many varieties。 Here you’ll read about everything from yarrow to cosmos to daisies and learn why they’re good for insects and even what types of beneficial insects they attract。If you’re a novice at garden design， this book thoughtfully provides what you need to know to design your borders， beds or patches for insects。 Walliser discusses location， size and even includes several pre-designed beds and gardens to get you started。 My only gripe is the advice on mulching， which is not ideal for ground nesting bees， which require bare ground。 Another reason this book goes so well with Attracting Native Pollinators。One of my favorite features is a summary table near the back called “putting it all together” which shows the various insects， who they eat and what plants support them the best。I do highly recommend this book as it’s full of great information and inspirational images to get you started。 It may even convert a lot of bug haters in the process if they give it a chance， and I sincerely hope they do for the good of not only their garden， but the entire ecosystem in which they live。Original review: http://www。metrofieldguide。com/book-r。。。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Fantastic book if you are looking for natural ways to control pest bugs in your yard/garden。 Lots of plant advice， some really good garden plans and the always popular gross pictures of bugs eating other bugs。 Very recommended。
Astrid Yrigollen
，
When I first started reading this book I did not like the lay out。 I wanted a clear cut "bad bug/good bug list" but something this book made me appreciate is that all bugs have their purpose and place （ if they are in the region where they should be and have not migrated someone else） Lots of pictures of bugs and clear descriptions。 Suggestions on where and how to plant a garden that brings the good bugs to your garden。 When I first started reading this book I did not like the lay out。 I wanted a clear cut "bad bug/good bug list" but something this book made me appreciate is that all bugs have their purpose and place （ if they are in the region where they should be and have not migrated someone else） Lots of pictures of bugs and clear descriptions。 Suggestions on where and how to plant a garden that brings the good bugs to your garden。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Love the idea of insectary borders and planning gardens to attract beneficial bugs to combat pests naturally。 Lots of great insight， a bit too much bug encyclopedia in the middle， but loved the practical applications at the end。 This would be a great book to reference when dealing with specific needs。 I need to learn more about what is happening with my own plants before I can really benefit from this one！
David Ward
，
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control by Jessica Walliser （Timber Press 2014） （635。0497）。 This is a gardening guide for someone wishing to enlist predatory bugs in the fight against garden pests。 My rating: 7/10， finished 10/2/14。
Andrea
，
Interesting though I liked the examples toward the end much more practical then the insects chapters in the first half。
Sher
，
Fabulous book！ Covers various annual and perennial plantings for attracting beneficial bugs。 What I liked best was learning about how plants and bugs work together -- fer example when aphids infest a plant， the plant sends out a signal （smell） to beneficial bugs letting them know that the aphids are there-- this is how the bugs know where to go。 Pollination is covered as is the different types of bees， flies， etc。 Various garden styles and plans are shown。 Highly recommended for understanding wh Fabulous book！ Covers various annual and perennial plantings for attracting beneficial bugs。 What I liked best was learning about how plants and bugs work together -- fer example when aphids infest a plant， the plant sends out a signal （smell） to beneficial bugs letting them know that the aphids are there-- this is how the bugs know where to go。 Pollination is covered as is the different types of bees， flies， etc。 Various garden styles and plans are shown。 Highly recommended for understanding what goes on behind the scenes in your garden-- you will be AMAZED！ 。。。more
Heather
，
I highly suggest everyone read this book， even if you want nothing to do with your yard or whatever。 I really apperciate bugs and what they do。 Not that I am going to go out kissing them but I wont be killing them for sure。 I also wont be buying products to spray in my garden anymore。 I am watching my plants care for them selves now and looking forward to the process。
Jessica
，
I love bugs and I love gardening， so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I read books that combine the two。 Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control by Jessica Walliser is the best I've read so far。 Walliser explains clearly why organic gardening involves not just avoiding pesticides but also inviting bugs to live in your garden。 The goal is to create a miniature ecosystem where while the "bad bugs" are never completely gone （there has to be somethin I love bugs and I love gardening， so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I read books that combine the two。 Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control by Jessica Walliser is the best I've read so far。 Walliser explains clearly why organic gardening involves not just avoiding pesticides but also inviting bugs to live in your garden。 The goal is to create a miniature ecosystem where while the "bad bugs" are never completely gone （there has to be something for the "good bugs" to eat）， there is a thriving population of bad-bug predators to keep things in check。Walliser gives a short introduction about this practice plus several essays on various aspects of insect growth and kind， giving portraits， both verbal and visual， of several of the insects so the gardener can get to know them。 There is also a large section on plants that attract beneficials with notes on which specific types they attract—many attract several—together with photographs of the plants。 She also includes suggested garden arrangements for folks who want some help planning their beneficial additions。Two incidental details that made me happy: She answered a long-standing question of mine: Is the nectar of different plants different， or is it just sugar water as some have told me？ （Yes， It is different; the Walliser gives several points about where and why）。 And， she gave me an excuse to keep Feverfew， even though I don't actually use it for anything。 Not that I needed an excuse， but it's nice to have one。Recommended for gardeners， insect lovers， and， especially， insect-haters。Note: This review was originally published on my blog， Bookwyrme's Lair Stop by for more reviews， photographs， garden chatter， and general musing。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your garden is an ecosystem based approach to managing pests in your garden。 Written by a professed past insecticide user turned bug-lover， this book is written with humor and a down-to-earth approach。 There is a lot of great information in here， especially about plant and bug communication that will hopefully convince people that they never have to use an insecticide again。 As author Jessica Walliser says "It is about encouraging the beneficial ones in hopes of mit Attracting Beneficial Bugs to your garden is an ecosystem based approach to managing pests in your garden。 Written by a professed past insecticide user turned bug-lover， this book is written with humor and a down-to-earth approach。 There is a lot of great information in here， especially about plant and bug communication that will hopefully convince people that they never have to use an insecticide again。 As author Jessica Walliser says "It is about encouraging the beneficial ones in hopes of mitigating the pesky ones。"The book is organized into helpful sections:Beneficial Bug Profiles: Includes how the bug works， what they prey on， what exactly they will do in your garden and what to plant in order to help them。Gardening for Bugs: This section will help you understand the feeding habits of beneficial bugs in order to for you to provide the plants that they will thrive along with。 It even includes beneficial plants that would be considered weeds！Plant Profiles: The exact species of plants that will help you attract the bugs you want。Design: This is a handy section to help you design all of these plants in a residential setting。 This book was provided for free in return for an honest review。 。。。more
William
，
Fun book。 lots of good photos。The author evangelizes bugs in the garden， and feels that the bugs are as important as the plants。I love the bugs in our garden， but the plants are still more important to me。No question that my appreciation for bugs in the garden has increased， and this book contributes to that appreciation。
Sheri Fischer
，
A must read for the beginning or serious flower and vegetable garden person。 Never again will I reach for an insecticide even organic without waiting for insects to take control of the situation。 Companion planting is thoroughly explained in a new dimension with simply defined terms that also describe why it is so important entice insects to your garden。Photos of the good and bad bugs are included so you can recognize them during several stages of development which I consider a major plus。
Anastaciaknits
，