Best place to buy ladybirds?

Alexandria · 17 June 2007 at 5:19PM

I have a serious aphid infestation on my apple and cherry trees and as a natural gardener I am wanting to treat with ladybirds (thinking combination of larvae and adults). Has anyone any recommendations on best place to order them from?
TIA
Alex

Dumyat · 17 June 2007 at 5:25PM

I've used this online green gardener, no idea if prices are good or not for ladybirds. but the stuff I ordered was delivered quickly and I signed up for their email newsletter which has loads of good hints.

http://www.greengardener.co.uk/

Solomon_Broad · 17 June 2007 at 6:34PM

2nd'ing the recommendation for Greengardener. I ordered one of their ladybird breeding kits, and it arrived within 2 days.

Alexandria · 17 June 2007 at 6:54PM

Oh thats great then. Hadn't thought of a breeding kit but I think my 4 year old DD would love that!

bones61 · 17 June 2007 at 7:32PM

Alexandria, hands up. I thought it was a stupid question. I would never have thought that you could actually buy Ladybird larvae. In my defence, we won't have a garden to work on until next year

dogrose, thank you for the link.
Solomon_Broad, thank you for using them and the recommendation of their service.
When we move later this year we ARE going to create a fabulous, natural, chemical free garden. My hard work and our ideas, along with the excellent advice from these threads, will make it happen. Might even copy others and post pictures or even do a blog.:eek:

Alexandria · 17 June 2007 at 8:09PM

Bones61, took me by surprise. I only found about it as I noticed a few ladybirds seemed to be present around my afflicted trees and did a quick google. Just need to get some more and then I think will get a home for them near the trees ready for next year.

beer2006 · 17 June 2007 at 8:30PM

I let a big patch of nettles grow, you get lots of aphids on them and the ladybirds are attracted. If you have enough of a food, things will come to eat it, ladybirds included. If I remember correctly, aphids on nettles are an early type, so you get ladybirds attracted to your garden before you get bugs on your cultivated plants.

I wonder if you have a ladybird house, next year they will just fly next door and help their garden

Alexandria · 17 June 2007 at 8:44PM

Hmm as tempting as it is I don't think nettles are a good idea with a 4 year old and 10 month old! lol I'd spend more time hunting for doc leaves than tending my garden!!

Solomon_Broad · 17 June 2007 at 9:01PM

bones61 wrote: »

Might even copy others and post pictures or even do a blog.:eek:

Great idea! You'll really appreciate being able to look back, I bet.

teapot2 · 17 June 2007 at 10:25PM

There was a film on Springwatch last week about ladybirds and they showed a wee house you could put up for them to winter in - no idea how they know its for them or if it works? Anybody got one?

lyns_2 · 17 June 2007 at 11:12PM

I had loads of ladybirds on 1 rose bush in April the children counted about 50 of them come May they were gone and so were the greenfly.They left behind loads of larvea though which i showed to the children. Today i noticed that we now have lots of baby ladybirds dont know who was more excited me or my children.