Biological control is one of the key tools for pest management in organic crop production. By maintaining permanent habitats and food sources for the pests’ natural enemies (good bugs) in the vicinity of your farms, you can ensure the continuous availability of the natural enemies. When the growing season starts, the good bugs will be readily available to attack the pests before they become established in the crops. 

Researchers have found that planting a diversity of flowering plants (e.g., sweet alyssum, nasturtium, milkweeds, common cryptantha, hillside vervain, wild petunia, etc.) on a small portion of your farms or the farms’ border can provide adequate food and shelter allowing to maintain abundant and diverse natural enemy species, including syrphid flies, tachinid flies, lacewings, parasitic wasp, etc. that will attack aphids, thrips, lepidopterans, and more. 

As you plan for the next season, please consider planting flowering plants on your farms’ borders or on dedicated patches to conserve natural enemies and enhance your biological control.