Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden

February 1, 2014

A healthy natural garden results from more than simply selecting the right plants. In this guide to beneficial bugs (a catchall term for insects and arachnids), Walliser ("Good Bug, Bad Bug" columnist, Organic Gardening magazine) wants to convert the natural gardener to a bug-lover. A former bug-hater, she became uncomfortable with the overuse of pesticides (even natural ones), so she changed her mind-set. Rather than eliminating bug pests with chemicals, she learned about the importance of a diverse garden ecosystem and came to appreciate bugs as a crucial and fascinating part of gardening. For those unfamiliar with beneficial insects and arachnids, this book provides a simple guide to different varieties and their uses in the garden (the lavish illustrations may be difficult for some who are squeamish about insects). Much of the book focuses on specific plants (including some that are usually considered weeds) and planting practices such as the kinds of crop rotation and use of cover crops that will be most attractive to beneficial bugs. She includes plans for insectary gardens. VERDICT Walliser enables even novices to get started with better insect gardening. This accessible yet passionate look at bugs will be a valuable tool for natural gardeners, especially those who need some convincing about loving bugs.--Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2013
Early in her career as a gardener for hire, Walliser had an epiphany while watching the David Attenborough documentary Life in the Undergrowth. The sight of two hermaphroditic leopard slugs making love sparked both a fascination for insects and a reconsideration of the need for pesticides in her work. Her newfound passion for entomological research resulted in her acclaimed guide to garden insects, Good Bug Bad Bug (2011), and now this fact-filled handbook on natural pest-control methods. To encourage the good bugs in hopes of mitigating the pesty ones, Walliser offers invaluable advice on how to identify such beneficials as ladybugs, ground beetles, and parasitoid wasps, as well as how to select a diversity of bug-attracting plants to promote a healthy balance between insect predator and prey. Alphabetical bug and plant profiles are included for easy reference. While the subject matter and close-up photographs of insects eating insects may make some readers squirm, dedicated gardeners will discover enough solid information and genuine motivation to finally put down their bug spray.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)