A garden is more than flowers and vegetables. It’s an ecosystem — a collaboration of sunlight, soil, water, plants, animals, fungi, and microbes. Every piece has its role, and insects are among the most vital.

When we think of insects in the garden, it’s often as pests: caterpillars chewing cabbage leaves, aphids clustering on roses, or tents of webworms dangling from apple trees. But insects are far more than nuisances. They’re pollinators, decomposers, and food for birds and other wildlife. Without them, a garden cannot thrive.

insects and plants: a long partnership

Insects have been around for half a billion years, evolving alongside plants from the very beginning. In the Pacific Northwest alone, more than 30,000 insect species can be found. Many of these insects are generalists, visiting a wide variety of plants, while others have formed tight, specialized bonds. Together, plants and insects weave the living fabric of every garden.

the roles insects play

If you pause to watch your garden, you’ll see insects at work everywhere:

• Pollinators — Bees, flies, beetles, butterflies, and moths visit flowers for nectar or pollen, unknowingly ensuring the next generation of seeds and fruits.
• Decomposers — Beetles, ants, and flies break down dead plants and animals, recycling nutrients back into the soil.
• Prey — Hummingbirds, swallows, dragonflies, and frogs all depend on insects for food, linking your garden to the larger web of life.

Even mosquitoes, often despised, have their place. Mosquitoes consume nectar and act as minor pollinators. The females only feed on mammal blood to develop their eggs. More importantly, mosquitoes are food for bats, swallows, purple martins (Progne subis arboricola), dragonflies, fish, amphibians, and spiders. In the Pacific Northwest, 67 species of mosquito live quietly alongside us, and, as annoying as they can be, their disappearance would ripple through the food chain.

Herbivory — the consumption of plant material by animals — is part of the balance. A hole in a leaf is a sign that your plants are feeding someone else — often in a way that keeps the ecosystem healthy. Where insects are missing, invasive plants like purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) can run unchecked. Insects help maintain equilibrium.

balance in the garden

A healthy garden is diverse. A single crop, like apples, can be wiped out by apple maggots (Rhagoletis pomonella). But a variety of plants attracts a variety of insects, which helps the whole system resist disease and pests. Think of your garden not as a battle between you and insects, but as a partnership where balance is the goal.

insect conservation starts at home

Across the world, insects face threats from habitat loss, pesticides, introduced species, and climate change. Old-growth forests and wetlands that once housed countless species are disappearing. Even in cities, green spaces often function as isolated “islands,” limiting insect populations.

Gardeners can help. A yard rich in native plants, water sources, logs, rocks, and leaf litter creates refuge for pollinators and beneficial insects. As insect diversity increases, birds, reptiles, and mammals follow — and the entire garden becomes more resilient.

Companion planting is another tool. Pairing certain plants together makes them stronger and less susceptible to pests. Nasturtiums, for example, lure aphids away from your favorite blooms. The traditional “Three Sisters” planting — corn, beans, and squash — shows how plants can support one another.

earwigs: friends in the shadows

Earwigs often have a bad reputation. In fact, the five species found in the Pacific Northwest — all introduced — play a useful role. They prey on other insects and only nibble plants when no other food is available. In a balanced garden, earwigs are allies, not enemies.

If you notice an overwhelming number, it usually means their natural predators — such as birds, toads, or reptiles — are missing. Adding features like birdbaths, brush piles, or native shrubs can invite those predators in, naturally reducing earwig numbers.

living with insects

A garden without insects is no garden at all. By observing and encouraging insect life, we help the whole system flourish. Yes, there will be nibbled leaves and the occasional nuisance, but these are signs of a working ecosystem.

As gardeners, we’re not separate from this balance — we’re part of it. By offering diversity, shelter, and care, we strengthen not just our own gardens but the larger landscape around us.

• Pacific Northwest Insects, A Regional Insect Field Guide by Merrill A. Peterson
• Practical Permaculture for Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth by Jessi Bloom
• The Olfactory Basis of Orchid Pollination by Mosquitoes, Lahondère, Vinauger, Okubo, and Riffell
• Salish Magazine: Springtime Bees
• WSU Extension: Gardening with Companion Plants (Home Garden Series)
• Xerces Society: Understanding Pesticides & Their Risks
• National Wildlife Federation: Native Plant Habitats
• Burke Museum: Arachnology & Entomology

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