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A Guide for Buying & Using Beneficial Insects
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BENEFICIAL INSECTS Getting Started Ladybugs Lacewings Fly Parasites Trichogramma Praying Mantis Predatory Mites Whitefly Parasites Mealybug Destroyer Beneficial Nematodes  This site is brought to you by www.PlanetNatural.com |
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 All About LadybugsBy Kim Haworth Warm weather has brought out the bugs. You may have noticed aphids on the new growth of your roses or swarms of white flies on your geraniums. Instead of reaching for the spray can, try alternative solutions that are more environmentally sound. Good Bugs Eat Bad Bugs One of those solutions is releasing good bugs in your garden to eat the bad bugs. Bad bugs such as slugs, scale, mealybugs, and aphids eat plant tissue or suck the vital juices from leaves and stems. In other words, the bad bugs are vegetarians. Good bugs, on the other hand, such as spiders, assassin bugs, ladybugs, and praying mantis, are carnivores, enjoying a meal of other bugs. A gardener can control insect infestations by introducing predatory insects instead of spraying toxic chemicals. But for it to work, you must choose a plan of attack and stick to your guns. If you release predators into your garden and then decide to spray, you will lose your investment, killing your helpers as well as problem bugs. Aphid Controls There are many species of aphids that enjoy feasting on most all of our garden plants. Aphids are small sucking insects that usually gather in large clusters on new growth. They're attracted to new, soft and tender growth because it's easy for their mouthparts to penetrate. Aphids are easy to get rid of either by blasting them with a strong jet of water to wash them from the plant or introducing the most famous of all the beneficial insects: ladybugs. Ladybug adults and larvae love to eat aphids. The larvae are tiny, dragon-like creatures that don't resemble their parents except in color. They eat more aphids than the adults. Buying Ladybugs Ladybugs are available for sale through the mail, through web sites offering garden supplies or at your local nursery. Once you receive your ladybugs, give them a drink by spraying water onto the surface of the net bag they come in. If you aren't ready to release them just yet, place them in the refrigerator to keep them cool. Before releasing ladybugs water your garden well. Ladybugs are thirsty after traveling in their bag for three or five days. If released in a dry garden, the ladybugs will simply fly off in search of a drink instead of sticking around to eat. Releasing Ladybugs It's also important to keep in mind the time of day you release your ladybugs. I set mine out in the late afternoon, after most of the birds have gone to bed. Birds love to eat ladybugs and their bright red color is an easy target. By waiting until the sun has almost set, you avoid the prime dining hours for most hungry birds. Release insects near infested plants. Divide your ladybugs among problem areas in the garden to improve control. Once these tiny predators have had a refreshing drink and a good night's rest, they will wake up hungry and breakfast on those darned aphids. |
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