Which Plants Attract the Most Garden Pests?
Unfortunately for us, pests are a huge problem in the world of gardening. However, if you’re here, you might be wondering which plants attract the most garden pests! From earwigs and ants to thrips and mites, there are a variety of pests that you’re going to have to deal with when growing your favourite plants.
If you would like to find out which plants you will need to keep a special eye out for, just keep reading! We will go through a number of popular plants, and even some common pests you’re bound to come across in your garden.
Here, we’re going to go through everything you need to know and also keep things simple – it’s the best of both worlds.
Don’t want to read the whole article? Here’s what you need to know – plants like tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, leeks, peas, onions, zucchini, and tuberous vegetables attract the most pests. This doesn’t mean that you need to avoid these plants, though! For more details, including how you can repel these insects, read the full article.
What Kind of Garden Pests Are Common in the UK?
There are a number of common pests that you are going to come across in your time gardening. While the kind of pests you experience will differ from one country to another, below is a list of some of the most common ones you will experience in the UK:
- Vine weevils
- Earwigs
- Slugs
- Woodlice
- Aphids
- Ladybugs*
- Whiteflies
- Lily beetles
- Spider mites
- Red spider mites
- Caterpillars
- Flea beetles
- Japanese beetles
- Gastropods (snails etc)
- Scale insects
- Rabbits
- Box tree moth
- Ground beetles
- Thrips
- Moles
- Cutworms
- Ants
- Mealybugs
- Asian lady beetles**
*In many cases, ladybugs in your garden can actually be a good thing! These insects are known to help control aphid and mite populations and keep plants healthy. However, it’s important to remember that ecosystems are incredibly delicate, and too much of a good thing can be detrimental.
**Asian lady beetles look similar to the ladybugs we all know and love. However, they are an invasive species, and can be harmful to the environment if left unchecked. These insects are yellow and have more spots than ladybugs, so they are fairly easy to distinguish when you compare the two!
Which Plants Attract the Most Garden Pests?
Don’t be disheartened when you read through this list. Yes – a lot of your favourites are on this, but there are ways to work around your pest problems! It’s always better to know what you could be getting yourself into in terms of pests than dive in blindly.
Keep what we have to say in mind, and you could save yourself a world of pain.
Garden Pests and Tomatoes
Common pests: aphids, cutworms, flea beetles, slugs, snails, spider mites, whitefly
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, etc), marigolds, catnip, fennel, bay leaf, thyme, petunias
WARNING: DO NOT plant dill near your tomato plants as it is known to attract tomato hornworms
Tomatoes have a lot to offer, so don’t let the pests they attract put you off! Just take precautions and be careful when it comes to planting. Keep dill away from the plants and surround your tomato plants with the recommended options for a happy and healthy garden!
Cabbages Attract a Lot of Pests
Common pests: aphids, caterpillars, cutworms, flea beetles, slugs, snails, spider mites, stink bugs, whiteflies
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, etc), dill, chrysanthemums, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, thyme
Cabbages can be a popular winter crop, and for good reason! However, there are a lot of pests that you need to be aware of. While you will likely experience fewer issues in the winter, the summer varieties can be notoriously difficult to keep happy without measures in place.
Cauliflowers Have a Hard Time
Common pests: aphids, caterpillars, cutworms, flea beetles, slugs, snails, spider mites, stink bugs, whiteflies
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, etc), dill, chrysanthemums, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, thyme
As a member of the brassica family like cabbage, cauliflower is suspensible to many of the same issues. This is also a winter crop, which means that, if you’re lucky, you could have an easier time. However, you should always take precautions and protect your plants as best you can.
Garden Pests are a Problem For Leeks
Common pests: allium leaf miner, leek moth, onion maggots
What you can plant to repel these pests: marigolds, nasturtiums, thyme
As a member of the onion and garlic family, leeks experience a variety of problems that you will need to deal with. While robust, they are prone to experiencing onion maggots, leek moth, allium leaf miners, and more. As such, plant some of the classics beside it to keep it happy and healthy.
Peas and Pests
Common pests: aphids, pea weevils, thrips, spider mites, nematodes, leaf miners, armyworms, cucumber beetles, cutworms
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, etc), chrysanthemums, dill, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, thyme
We all love peas, but they are not always easy to grow. Suffering from every pest under the sun (not literally), these plants can be a challenge. Between the aphids, thrips, and spider mites, you will have a tough time keeping these plants healthy.
Onions Attract a Variety of Garden Pests
Common pests: onion fly, allium leaf miner, allium white rot, onion thrips, spider mites, bulb mites, cutworms
What you can plant to repel these pests: bay leaf, chrysanthemums, dill, geraniums, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, thyme
Like leeks, onions experience a lot of issues that you will need to keep an eye out for. You can make your life a lot easier if you plant all the right companion plants to keep your onions happy. Garden pests don’t stand a chance if you know what you’re doing!
Everyone Loves Zucchini
Common pests: aphids, cucumber beetles, cutworms, leaf miners, spider mites, squash bugs, thrips, whiteflies
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, etc), chrysanthemums, dill, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, thyme, catnip, tansy, calendula, parsley, basil
Zucchini (and most other squash) will experience issues with squash bugs, cutworms, and a variety of other garden pests. These can be exceptionally frustrating to deal with, but just look at how many plants could help you!
Tuberous Vegetables
Common pests: weevils, wireworms, tuberworms, white grubs, slugs,
What you can plant to repel these pests: alliums, nasturtiums, marigolds, cilantro, horseradish, sage, lettuce, beans, peas
Tuberous vegetables like potatoes, carrots, taro, beetroot, and turnips (among others) can be a challenge. Because of the nature of these plants, it can be hard to even know if they are suffering from garden pest problems or not! Take precautions and give your plants the best chance possible. Keep an eye out for an in-depth article looking at tuberous vegetables, too!
Final Thoughts on Garden Pests
Although there are so many pests to be wary of when it comes to gardening, there are measures you can take to protect your plants. While you could always use pesticides (not that we recommend that) or other methods, using plants to protect plants is a great option.
Insect repelling plants like alliums, marigolds, and nasturtiums are incredibly popular for obvious reasons – they’re effective! Not only that, but these plants offer so much more than just protection from pests.
So, if you are thinking of doing some gardening, or are struggling with pests with the plants you have, consider trying some of the above remedies! They truly can make the world of difference, and your garden will be so much better off with them.
Find out more about plants that repel pests, which popular herbs you should grow at home, and plants that are easy and difficult to grow! We also have articles on mint and how to dry herbs at home if you want to stick to the gardening theme – why not check them out?
I’ll need to be strategic when I get started on my veggie garden