Name two beneficial insects that help control aphids in home gardens and one action you can take to attract them.

• A. Bees and wasps; plant nectar sources and use broad-spectrum insecticides to attract them.
• B. Lady beetles and lacewings; plant nectar/pollen sources and avoid broad-spectrum insecticides to protect them.
• C. Spiders and mantises; plant dense shrubs to harbor them.
• D. Ants and beetles; ignore pests.

Answer: (B)

Fostering natural pest control by drawing on beneficial insects that hunt aphids is the idea. Lady beetles and lacewings are two of the most effective aphid predators in home gardens, feeding on aphids in large numbers and helping keep their populations down without chemical help.

To attract them, provide nectar and pollen sources for adults by planting flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season (such as dill, yarrow, borage, cilantro, and alyssum). Also avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill beneficial insects; using selective controls only when necessary lets these predators establish and thrive. By offering food resources and a safe environment, these beneficials become resident allies in your garden.

Other options don’t fit as well because bees and wasps are not the primary aphid hunters in a typical home garden, and broad-spectrum insecticides would harm the very beneficials you want to attract. Spiders and mantises are generalist predators, not the two named insects, and the suggestion to plant dense shrubs isn’t specifically about attracting the aphid predators. Ants can disrupt biological control by farming aphids, and ignoring pests isn’t a strategy for fostering natural enemies.