Encouraging garden pest predators is essential in any garden to keep the natural balance ticking over.
 
To do this you need a good range of native plants to provide food and homes for these predators. Nectar and pollen producing  wild flowers, climbers, shrubs, ground cover plants, berrying plants and scented herbs are all ideal.
 
When you are trying to encourage pest predators it cannot be stressed enough that there is no place for chemicals, you will have to consider the food chains and webs that make up the natural habitat.
 
Many of the most effective pest predators are microscopic, tiny larvae which prey on soft bodied pests such as caterpillars.
 
Lacewing larvae don’t only dispose of aphids but also attack caterpillars and other insect pests. One larvae kill eat over 100 aphids in an our. Surely encouraging these into your garden instead of killing them with chemicals is the way forward.
 
Brown-green hoverfly larvae do severe damage to aphid numbers.

Ladybird larvae also consume thousands of aphids in a day and when they mature into adult ladybirds, they continue reducing the aphid colonies in your garden.
 
Nettles are important in any garden, not only because they are good food for butterflies, but also because attract aphids to them and these aphids become early meals for ladybird larvae and hoverfly larvae. We would recommend that you should plant nettles in pots to contain their roots.
 
Aromatic herbs are popular with helpful pest predators in the garden. Plant borage, hyssop , sages and lavender.
 
Umbellifers attract lacewings, so include fennel, dill and angelica in your borders.
 
Nasturtiums are very good at attracting aphids away from your favored plants but make sure you get them going early to help protect your broad beans and sweet peas.
 
Shield bugs are helpful at gorging on mites, attract them with Princes Feather and other Amaranths.

You should encourage birds into the garden as they feed all day on every type of pest. Make sure you have a bird bath and bird feeding station in your garden to bring them in.
 
It is helpful if you have berrying bushes for birds to live and nest in.
 
Toads and frogs are great pest predators so make sure you provide them with a damp, warm sheltered habitat.
 
Dragonflies will flock to a brightly colored garden and they are friendly pest controllers, so make sure to have brightly planted borders.
 
Hedgehogs are natural born slug killers so encourage them into your garden with a dry wooden hedgehog home or a pile of covered leaves.
 
Ground beetles love to eat slugs so make sure you do not kill them as they are friendly bugs.