Instead, learn the power of bugs in your garden.

Beneficial insects and beneficial bugs play a vital role in the health and biodiversity of your garden. Gardening with a permaculture sensibility isn’t just about cultivating plants; it’s about understanding and nurturing a thriving ecosystem.

Unfortunately, the practices of conventional agriculture and monocropping have had detrimental effects on these vital creatures, contributing to a global decline in insect populations.

Understanding the importance of local insects and their roles in the food chain is essential for gardeners aiming to create sustainable, resilient gardens.

The Role of Beneficial Insects in the Garden

Beneficial insects are those that provide significant advantages to gardens, often by preying on pest insects or by pollinating plants. Examples include ladybugs and ladybug nymphs, who feed on aphids; lacewings, who consume a variety of soft-bodied insects; and bees, who are crucial pollinators. 

These insects help control pest populations naturally, reducing the need for chemical interventions.

Conventional Agriculture and Monocropping: The Downside

Conventional agriculture often relies on monocropping, the practice of growing large expanses of a single crop. This approach has several drawbacks, particularly for insect populations.

Monocropping creates an environment lacking in biodiversity, making it easier for pests to thrive and harder for beneficial insects to survive. Without a variety of plants, beneficial insects lose their habitats and food sources.

Additionally, conventional agriculture frequently uses synthetic pesticides to control pests. These chemicals don’t discriminate between harmful pests and beneficial insects, often killing both. Over time, this reduces the population of beneficial insects that naturally keep pest populations in check, leading to a cycle of increased pesticide use and further ecological damage.

Decline of Insect Populations

In recent years, the global insect population has declined significantly. Studies have shown that insect biomass is decreasing at alarming rates, with some estimates suggesting a decline of over 40% in the past few decades. Back in the 80’s when I was a kid, I remember the car windshield being covered with bugs after a drive thorugh the countryside. I don’t see that happening much anymore, do you?

This insect decline is attributed to habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and pollution. The loss of insects has far-reaching implications, as insects are fundamental to many ecological processes, including pollination, decomposition, and serving as a food source for other animals.

Importance of Local Insects

Local insects are essential to the health of their ecosystems. They have evolved alongside native plants and animals, forming intricate relationships that support the entire food chain.

For instance, many birds rely on insects as a primary food source, especially during the breeding season. Without sufficient insect populations, bird populations can also decline, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.

Local insects often also act as pollinators for native plants, ensuring the reproduction of these species. This, in turn, supports a diverse plant community, which provides habitat and food for other wildlife. 

By understanding the role of insects, and practicing permaculture on a small scale, you can play a role in fostering local insect populations, which contributes to the overall health and stability of your local environment. The work you do in your garden isn’t limited to the square footage where you’ve put your plants. It also benefits your neighbors of all kinds – the creepy crawlers, the flying birds, and the two-leggers and four-leggers!

Creating an Insect-Friendly Garden

To support beneficial insects and help counteract the negative effects of conventional agriculture, gardeners can implement several strategies:

Planting a Diverse Variety of Plants

A diverse garden with a variety of plants attracts a range of beneficial insects. Native plants are particularly important because they have co-evolved with local insects.

Including a mix of flowering plants that bloom at different times ensures a continuous supply of nectar and pollen for pollinators throughout the growing season. That bag of seeds you pick up at the garden supply store is for more than just looks! It’s a highly functional part of your overall gardening strategy.

Providing Habitats

Beneficial insects need places to live and breed. Creating habitats can be as simple as leaving some areas of the garden undisturbed, allowing leaves and plant debris to accumulate. Installing insect hotels, which provide nesting sites for solitary bees and other insects, can also be beneficial. If you’d like some suggestions on the tools we like here at Symbiosis, check out our recommendations in the store.

Avoiding Pesticides

To protect beneficial insects, avoid using synthetic pesticides. Instead, if you’re hit with a massive infestation of bugs that don’t seem to be controlled by local bugs over time, opt for organic methods of pest control, such as introducing natural predators, using insecticidal soaps, or applying neem oil. These methods target harmful pests without harming beneficial insects. (do we want to include this section at all???)

Practicing Crop Rotation and Polyculture

Crop rotation and polyculture (growing multiple crops together) can reduce pest problems and support beneficial insects. These practices disrupt pest life cycles and create a more diverse environment that supports a variety of beneficial insect species.

Providing Water Sources

Beneficial insects need water for drinking and reproduction. Providing shallow running water sources, such as birdbaths with stones for perching, or small fountains with pumps to keep water moving can help attract and sustain these insects, while avoiding becoming mosquito farms.

In a homeowner situation, practicing rainwater catchment is a good way to collect water from nature that doesn’t have the additive chemicals like chlorine that can have a negative impact on the microbiome of your garden.

Educating and Engaging the Community

Raising awareness about the importance of beneficial insects and sustainable gardening practices can amplify efforts. Engaging with local gardening clubs, schools, and community groups can help spread knowledge and encourage more people to adopt insect-friendly practices.

If you want to be part of our community, make sure to sign up for the free newsletter. We’re geeked about sharing our knowledge with the growing community of gardening folks, and we love to share how permaculture can be applied even at a small scale to provide massive, long-term benefits.

More than just pests

Beneficial insects are indispensable allies in the garden, contributing to pest control, pollination, and overall ecosystem health. Conventional agriculture and monocropping practices have severely impacted these vital creatures, leading to a worldwide decline in insect populations. By understanding the importance of local insects and implementing sustainable gardening practices, gardeners can create environments that support and protect these essential members of the ecosystem.

Growing a garden that’s designed to intentionally support beneficial insects requires a commitment to diversity, habitat creation, and small scale permaculture practices. By doing so, gardeners not only enhance the health and productivity of their gardens but also contribute to the broader effort to preserve biodiversity and ecological balance.

In a world where insect populations are declining, every garden has the potential to become a sanctuary for beneficial insects, playing a crucial role in the health of our planet. The accumulation of more and more people becoming aware of this systemic pattern, and how we as humans belong to it, can make a positive difference.

Happy gardening!