Welcome and attract beneficial insects
to your edible landscape!
This section of our site is evolving. We are adding additional information soon on the following beneficial insects.
Aphidius Wasps are excellent predators in the battle to control many species of aphids.
Big Eyed Bugs control chinch bugs, caterpillars and even spider mites.
Damsel Bugs are also beneficial insects and they help control many garden pests by piercing the bodies of troublemakers in your garden and eating them. If you want to attract Damsel Bugs be sure to plant a ground cover of thyme, legumes and lavender among a mix of herbs. The Damsel Bug controls a wide variety of white flies.
Next time you see a fly that is hovering in one area of the yard like a Harrier Jump Jet, you are in the presence of a friendly beneficial Hover Fly. Friendly to you, because they won't sting and deadly to the bad guys in the garden feasting on your delicious edible plants.
Hover flies control mealybugs, some caterpillars and even aphids and cabbage worms.
Below we discuss some of the more commonly found beneficial insects around your landscape.
Lady Bugs or Lady Beetles are often referred to as the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the Insect Kingdom
(Hippodamia convergens) coccinellidae
They are the most common of all beneficial insects, these voracious predators feed on aphids, adelgids, chinch bugs, asparagus beetles larvae, thrips, alfalfa weevils, bean thrips, grape root worms, Colorado potato beetle larvae, whitefly, and mites, as well as many other soft-bodied insects and eggs. And they are cost-effective, too. Ladybugs can be shipped to you in the adult stage. One adult consumes close to a 5,000 aphids. Females lay 10 to 50 eggs daily on the underside of leaves in about a weeks time. Eggs are usually deposited near aphids, in small clusters.
Larvae grow from about 1 mm to 6 mm in length and may travel along plant leaves and branches up to 40 feet in search of prey. In 2 to 5 days the larvae emerge as dark alligator-like flightless creatures with orange spots. The larvae eat 50 to 60 aphids per day. After 21 days the larva attaches itself by the abdomen to a leaf or other surface to pupate. Within a week or less the adults emerge depending on the temperature, completing the cycle. Temperatures between 61°F to 82°F are ideal. ladybugs won't fly in the evening or when temperature are 55°F or lower Ladybugs often produce several generations to continue helping the gardener keep the bad guys in check.
How to release ladybugs
Okay your package of lady bugs just arrived and you are anxious to get them out into the garden or around the yard. Hopefully your lady bugs arrived overnight mail or at least by priority mail. They probably are in a net bag and you may have ordered a few thousand.
I order from High Sierra Lady bugs and they are among the best suppliers! Free shipping and great service.
Here is how I release the Lady bugs.
Open your box carefully and if they arrived during the day go ahead and store them in the refrigerator at an average 42- 48 degrees temperature. Don't freeze them!
At normal refrigerator temperatures they can be stored for a few weeks. Now we don't want to store them for very long, we want them out asap. Release your lady bugs an hour before sunset.
Lady bugs don't fly at night. Gently water the release area so the lady bugs can have a drink after a long journey in a box.
Open your net package and let them crawl out around some of your plants. Release them near plants under attack by aphids. Now move the package to other areas of the yard and release a few more. Don't release them all in one evening, release them over a period of a few days.
After every release store your extra ladybugs in the refrigerator and release more the next evening. Plan to release them over a three day period.
Okay so you want to get it over with and release them all right away!
Here is what to do. Open the net package and place it at the base of your plants. Spray your lady bugs gently with a 50/50 mix of seven up soda and water. The spray makes the wings stick for a few days and they just climb around all over eat and have a party, make love and lay eggs. Before you know it they are hard at work protecting your plants from aphids and some other bad guys.
I order from High Sierra Lady bugs and they are among the best suppliers! Free shipping and great service.
Here is how I release the Lady bugs.
Open your box carefully and if they arrived during the day go ahead and store them in the refrigerator at an average 42- 48 degrees temperature. Don't freeze them!
At normal refrigerator temperatures they can be stored for a few weeks. Now we don't want to store them for very long, we want them out asap. Release your lady bugs an hour before sunset.
Lady bugs don't fly at night. Gently water the release area so the lady bugs can have a drink after a long journey in a box.
Open your net package and let them crawl out around some of your plants. Release them near plants under attack by aphids. Now move the package to other areas of the yard and release a few more. Don't release them all in one evening, release them over a period of a few days.
After every release store your extra ladybugs in the refrigerator and release more the next evening. Plan to release them over a three day period.
Okay so you want to get it over with and release them all right away!
Here is what to do. Open the net package and place it at the base of your plants. Spray your lady bugs gently with a 50/50 mix of seven up soda and water. The spray makes the wings stick for a few days and they just climb around all over eat and have a party, make love and lay eggs. Before you know it they are hard at work protecting your plants from aphids and some other bad guys.
Assassin Bugs
(Apiomerus species)
This guy is working hard to keep my guava tree healthy!
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Assassin bugs are excellent guests in your garden. When they are around they help keep your garden protected from many damaging insects. These welcomed assassin's prey on many of the trouble makers that want to eat your ornamental plants, vegetables, fruit trees and other edible plants.
Assassin Bugs have narrow heads and large bristly front legs they use to capture prey. These insects have a sharp curved beak called a proboscis that they use as a spear. The proboscis allows them to pierce a tasty meal. Having these beneficial insects in the garden is a real plus. They love to eat aphids, cabbage worms, japanese beetles and even tomato hornworms and many other caterpillars. You can attract them by planting a variety of herbs and flowering plants around your yard. Many different types of assassin bug species exist. Actually hundreds of species ranging in size and color exist worldwide and they come in many colors and with a variety of markings unique to each type. Most average about a half inch in length. Be careful not to handle them or you just might get a nasty sting! |
Aphid Lions or Green Lacewings
(Chrysopa species)
Known as "Aphid Lions," Green Lacewing larvae can consume up to 1,000 aphids in just 1 day! These predators will also devour other problematic mealy bugs, scale, mites, thrips, whitefly larvae, leaf miners, and other soft-bodied insects.
(Chrysopa species)
Known as "Aphid Lions," Green Lacewing larvae can consume up to 1,000 aphids in just 1 day! These predators will also devour other problematic mealy bugs, scale, mites, thrips, whitefly larvae, leaf miners, and other soft-bodied insects.
Need Lady Bugs?
We recommend
High Sierra Ladybugs!
Top quality service and free shipping. Very reasonable prices and lots of information on lady bugs and how they are cared for. A small family run business. Click the photo to be taken to the site.
