How to attract and keep some beneficial insects.

There are naturally, many beneficial insects in any garden space. There are certain plants, however, that provide an extra measure of food sources, and habitat for shelter and egg laying to keep your beneficial insects hanging around. This is a complex subject, but as you can see from the lists below, many beneficial insects thrive on the nectar rich flowers of many herbs and perennials. Plants with small, compound flowers seem to benefit them the most, a mixture of low growing, sprawling plants like thyme or mints provide not only plenty of flowers but also a cool, moist, ground level habitat for crawling insects such as spiders and beetles. Taller plants like Queen Anne's Lace, Dill and Goldenrod provide food and habitat for many of the flying beneficial insects. So if you cannot accommodate any of these 'weed-like' plants within your garden, you should try to plant a small area off to the side somewhere, that will provide these natural habitats and extra food sources for the beneficial insects.

Plants that attract Tachinid flies

Anthernis tinctoria - Golden Marguerite

Fagopyrum esculentum - Buckwheat

Melissa officinalis - Lemon Balm

Mentha pulegium - Pennyroyal

Petroselinum crispum - Parsley

Phacelia tanacetifolia - Phacelia

Tanacetum vulgare - Tansy

Thymus serpyllum - Thyme

Carum Carvi - Caraway

Cosmos bipinnatus - Cosmos

Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel

Medicago sativa - Alfalfa

Mentha spicata - Spearmint

Solidago virgaurea - Peter Pan Goldenrod

Tagetes tenuifolia - Marigold

Achillea filipendula - Fern-leaf Yarrow

Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow

Ajuga reptans - Carpet Bugleweed

Allium tanguticum - Vender Globe Lily

Alyssum saxatilis - Basket of Gold

Anethum graveolens - Dill

Anthemis tinctoria - Golden Marguerite

Aster alpinus - Dwarf Alpine Aster

Astrantia major - Masterwort

Atriplex canescens - Four-wing Saltbush

Callirhoe involucrata - Purple Poppy Mallow

Carum Carvi - Caraway

Chrysanthemum parthenium - Feverfew

Coriandrum sativum - Coriander

Cosmos bipinnatus Cosmos

Daucus Carota - Queen Annes lace

Fagopyrum esculentum - Buckwheat

Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel

Lavandula angustifolia - English Lavender

Limonium latifolium - Statice

Linaria vulgaris - Toadflax

Lobelia erinus - Edging Lobelia

Lobularia maritima - Sweet Alyssum

Melissa officinalis - Lemon Balm

Mentha pulegium - Pennyroyal

Mentha spicata - Spearmint

Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot

Penstemon strictus - Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Petroselinum crispum - Parsley

Potentilla recta - Sulfur Cinquefoil

Potentilla villosa - Alpine Cinquefoi

Rudbeckia fullgida - Gloriosa Daisy

Sedum kamtschaticum - Orange Stonecrop

Sedum spurium & album - Stonecrop

Solidago virgaurea - Peter Pan Goldenrod

Stachys officinalis - Wood Betony

Tagetes tenuifolia - Marigold

Thymus serpylium - Thyme

Veronica spicata - Spike Speedwell

Zinnia elegans - Zinnia

Achillea filipendula - Fern-leaf Yarrow

Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow

Allium tanguticum - Lavender Globe Lily

Anethum graveolens - Dill

Antheinis tinctoria - Golden Marguerite

Astrantia major - Masterwort

Callirhoe involucrata - Purple Poppy Mallow

Carum Carvi - Caraway

Coriandrum sativum - Coriander

Cosmos bipinnatus - Cosmos

Daucus Carota - Queen Annes Lace

Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel

Limonium latifolium - Statice

Linaria vulgaris - Toadflax

Lobelia erinus - Edging Lobelia

Lobularia maritima - Sweet Alyssum

Melissa officinalis - Lemon Balm

Mentha pulegium - Pennyroyal

Petroselinum crispum - Parsley

Potentilla recta - Sulfur Cinquefoil

Potentilla villosa - Alpine Cinquefoil

Sedum kamtschaticum - Orange Stonecrop

Tagetes tenuifolia - Marigold

Tanacetum vulgare - Tansy

Thymus serpyllum - Thyme

Zinnia elegans - Zinnia