Assassin bugs (family Reduviidae) are highly effective predatory insects that help manage pest populations. These stealthy predators act as natural control agents, reducing the need for chemical insecticides. They use a specialized, curved proboscis to pierce prey, injecting venom that liquefies the internal contents for consumption. Attracting these beneficial insects requires creating a supportive habitat, providing a reliable food source, and removing common threats.
Structuring the Right Environment
Assassin bugs thrive in environments offering shelter, hunting perches, and safe overwintering sites. Establishing diverse physical structures encourages these predators to take up permanent residence. Ground cover, such as mulch, leaf litter, or low-lying plants, offers cover for ambush hunting and protection from larger predators.
Providing vertical complexity is also important, as assassin bugs often stalk prey on plants. Tall grasses, shrubs, and perennial flowers create elevated vantage points for hunting. Avoid excessive cleanup, as debris and bark provide essential shelter where adults can overwinter. A source of water, like a shallow dish or a bird bath with small perching stones, is also beneficial.
Maintaining a Food Source
The primary way to attract and retain assassin bugs is ensuring a steady, accessible supply of prey. These insects are generalist predators, feeding on a wide variety of other insects within the garden ecosystem. Their diet commonly includes destructive pests like aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, and whiteflies.
Gardeners must tolerate a low level of pest damage, as eliminating all prey removes the incentive for these beneficial bugs to stay. Planting a diverse array of flowering species helps sustain the entire food web by attracting smaller insects that serve as prey. Specific flowering plants known to attract this food source include:
- Dill
- Fennel
- Goldenrod
- Queen Anne’s Lace
- Marigolds
Avoiding Common Deterrents
Certain garden practices actively deter or kill beneficial insects like assassin bugs, negating attraction efforts. The most significant deterrent is the use of broad-spectrum pesticides, which kill a wide range of insects indiscriminately. Applying these chemicals eliminates both the pests and the beneficial predators, including the assassin bugs themselves.
Instead of blanket spraying, gardeners should adopt a spot-treatment approach, using less toxic alternatives such as horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps when necessary. Overly manicured or tidy garden spaces also reduce the presence of these insects. Removing leaf litter, weeds, and natural debris eliminates the necessary shelter, breeding grounds, and overwintering sites required for their life cycle.
Safety Considerations When Working Near Them
While assassin bugs are valuable garden allies, they can deliver a painful, defensive bite if threatened. This bite is typically non-venomous in common beneficial species, but it is often described as feeling worse than a bee or wasp sting. The bug uses its sharp proboscis to pierce the skin, which can cause localized swelling and irritation.
Never handle an assassin bug directly; if one is found on clothing or skin, gently flick it off rather than crushing it. Gardeners should always wear gloves when working in areas with dense foliage or moving leaf litter, as this is where the bugs are most likely encountered. Note that while most garden species are harmless, some blood-feeding species exist in certain regions.