We often react to insects by squashing them or swatting them away. Our reaction is not necessarily justified; not all insects are harmful or considered to be pests. With a little bravery and knowledge, we can recognize and welcome the beneficial insects and form an alliance with them. We provide them with food and habitats, and they provide us with some excellent pest management.

If we garden, we have seen damage done by insects. Whether it is damage done to fruits and vegetables or to our prized ornamentals, it is frustrating to say the least. Often, seeing the damage provokes our indignation and we declare war on all the insects in the garden without considering the repercussions that our actions might bring. Instead of pulling a chemical pesticide off the shelf, an alternative method of insect pest control would be to attract the natural predators to our gardens. A simple and well known example would be using lady bugs to keep the aphids on our roses under control. Beneficial insects can do a much better job of controlling the pest population than we can, and it is possible and very rewarding to form a relationship with the beneficial insects. This manual explains who the beneficial insects are, how to design and create an insectary for the home garden and how to manage insect pests by attracting and sustaining beneficial insects.

Kimberly is a gardening enthusiast who appreciates the practical aspects of gardening as much as the creativity and design. She enjoys volunteering in her local master gardener extension program, and each week she can be found in the beneficial insect garden plots. Learning more about sustainable gardening methods has become a passion for Kimberly, and she is more than happy to be able to share information about beneficial insects and encourage others to create insect friendly landscapes.