Predators These include animals such as frogs, lizards, birds, dragonflies and spiders. Attract insect-eating birds by establishing plants native to your area. These are just some of the many predators that control nasties. Attracting Parasites Plant camomile, celery, hyssop, tansy, dill and yarrow in the garden to encourage wasps that parasitise caterpillars. Clover attracts woolly aphid parasites.
Buckwheat attracts hoverflies.
A range of plants was tested to attract beneficial insects. The most promising plants included tansy, caraway, dill, white cosmos and buckwheat. Dill Repels aphids, red spider, attracts beneficial insects Fennel Repels fleas and ants Horseradish Deters chewing beetles Leek Deters carrot fly Marigold Controls root nematodes, attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps. Wormwood Deters many insects, slugs and snails. Nitrogen is absorbed from the air into solid nodules on the plant roots to be utilised by other plants.