AI Overview: Spring gardening in Idaho can increase insect activity—some helpful, some destructive. This guide covers plants that attract beneficial predators (like lady beetles and lacewings), plants that may help discourage common pests, and simple garden-care habits that reduce pest pressure around your yard and home.
Spring is here, and gardeners throughout Idaho are anxious to get started. Before you start plotting rows or breaking ground, it helps to consider which plants you’ll grow—and whether they may attract insects. Some plants bring beneficial insects that help reduce garden pests. Others can draw in insects that damage leaves, stems, and fruit and can become a seasonal headache.
Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Yard
If you’re new to gardening, you may not realize that many insects are actually helpful. Lady beetles (often called “ladybugs”), lacewings, hoverflies, and tiny parasitic wasps are all common beneficial insects that feed on or reduce plant-eating pests like aphids and other soft-bodied insects.
Other predators—like minute pirate bugs and certain assassin bugs—can also help reduce spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and caterpillars. The key is giving beneficial insects a reason to stay by providing nectar, pollen, and shelter.
To help attract beneficial insects, consider planting some of the following in garden beds or borders:
- Queen Anne’s lace
- Fern-leaf yarrow
- Angelica
- Carpet bugleweed
- English lavender
Tip: Planting a mix of bloom shapes and bloom times helps keep beneficial insects around longer during the growing season.
Plants that May Help Discourage Garden Pests
Establishing a strong pest defense for your garden is like any other good investment—you get better results when you diversify. Some plants and herbs have strong scents or natural compounds that may help discourage certain nuisance insects. These are best used as a supporting layer alongside good yard and garden habits.
For example, many homeowners like to keep herbs such as rosemary, basil, and mint near patios, walkways, or garden edges. Some gardeners also use flowers like marigolds, petunias, and chrysanthemums as part of a mixed planting approach.
- Herbs often used in “discouragement zones”: rosemary, basil, mint
- Flowers commonly used in mixed beds: chrysanthemums, marigolds, petunias
- Other popular additions: catnip (place thoughtfully—cats may roll in it)
Note: “Repellent” plants are not a stand-alone solution if pests are already established. If you’re seeing heavy damage, you’ll get better results by identifying the specific pest and addressing habitat conditions.
Caring for Your Plants
The way you arrange your garden and care for it can have a significant impact on pest pressure. Give plants room to grow and breathe—proper spacing and air circulation makes many plants less desirable to pests and reduces moisture problems that can contribute to outbreaks.
Water in the morning and make sure the water soaks the soil (not just the surface). A deeper soak helps plants build healthier roots and reduces “always damp” conditions that attract certain insects.
Taking care of your entire yard also helps. Keep your lawn trimmed so insects have fewer places to hide, reduce clutter against the home, and trim hedges and vegetation away from siding and entry points.
Our Pest Control Experts in Idaho Can Help
As the spring thaw sets in, pest activity increases. If you’re seeing insects moving from the yard into the home, or you want help identifying what’s damaging your plants, Pestcom Pest Management is here to help with practical prevention guidance and targeted solutions.
Call us now at (208) 795-3298 or contact us online to schedule a free pest control inspection.
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