As St. Louis residents convert empty lots and backyards into bustling urban gardens, the green revival attracts some unanticipated guests. In Tower Grove South or the Hill, those same native plants and flowering vegetables that beautify neighborhoods also make for ideal wasp- and beetle-friendly homes.
Though these bugs are vital pollinators and contributors to soil health, they can easily get out of hand when gardens offer them prime sources of food and places to breed. Knowing the reasons these pests are attracted to your well-maintained plots helps you restore balance to your outdoor space. Contacting Brentwood pest control company keeps your garden free from harm throughout the growing season if beetle damage or wasp nests become too challenging to manage.
Why Urban Gardening Has Surged in St. Louis—and Why Pests Follow
In recent years, the Gateway City has seen a boom in community and residential gardens. St. Louis has more than 250 community gardens across the metro area, a figure that continues to grow, providing access to fresh produce and green spaces, according to Gateway Greening. The COVID-19 pandemic hastened this growth, with backyard vegetable gardens expanding by 35% in the St. Louis region between 2020 and 2022.
However, these thriving gardens make lovely little locales for insects in search of nectar and pollen, as well as places to hide. A varied array of plants, slowly building a supply of organic mulch and lodges, and ponds in the urban garden, creates a five-star hotel for these helpful but sometimes unwanted bugs.
How Flowering Plants Become Natural Magnets for Wasps
Flowering plants in your St. Louis gardens are like a buffet for wasps, especially in late summer when their colonies are at their peak. Flowers that provide a nectar supply to fuel wasp energy needs include zinnias, sunflowers, and native Missouri coneflowers. Whereas honeybees are predominantly drawn to sweet floral nectar, wasps are also attracted to protein sources, so you might see them flying around your tomato plants, searching for aphids one moment, and then sniffing around your outdoor grill the next.
Though technically they are predators that help gardens by killing off caterpillars and other soft-bodied pests, having them nearby can turn into a nuisance once nests pop up in busy areas, or if they build up in numbers, it can make picking vegetables stressful.
Beetle Species Commonly Found in St. Louis Gardens
- Japanese Beetles: These copper- and olive-green insects skeletonize leaves on roses, fruit trees, and grapes. They are particularly active between June and August and can consume entire plants in a matter of days.
- Ground Beetles: Predators that feed on slugs, snails, and other garden pests as a food source. These brown or black beetles hide under mulch and come out at night.
- Flea Beetles: They include tiny jumping beetles that form shot-hole patterns on leafy greens, eggplants, and tomatoes. They are particularly damaging in the spring, when seedlings are at their most susceptible.
- Lady Beetles: They are allies in the garden, devouring hundreds of aphids in their lifetime and not needing management attention.
When Garden Pest Activity Means It’s Time to Call a Local Pro
Although backyard gardeners can handle infrequent wasps or cosmetic beetle damage with a quick remedy, there are times when you need to reach out to a professional. However, if you find paper wasp nests in the eaves above your garden shed, or yellow jackets coming and going from underground burrows in your raised beds, the chance of a sting is higher when the insects defend themselves.
Likewise, when hand-picking reduces but fails to eliminate Japanese beetle populations that devour your prized roses, or when damage from beetle larvae is found in the adjacent lawn of your garden bed, a professional treatment becomes the pragmatic option. Pointe Pest Control has solutions for St. Louis gardeners facing these issues. They know the local ecosystem you are in and can tell if you have beneficial insects that need to be kept or pests that need to be treated. Then they will offer treatments that are not only safe for your garden but also for your family’s outdoor enjoyment.
