Ladybird larvae

neilmcl

Has anyone introduced so-called beneficial ladybird larvae into their garden. I tend to get loads of aphids attacking my Eucalyptus and recently noticed my prized Pieris is infested by what could be pieris lacebug.

This is the sort of thing I'm considering - https://www.greengardener.co.uk/product/ladybird-larvae-with-release-bags/

twopenny

It's a nice idea but if it's an open garden they may travel out and about and your money could go walkabout. They don't understand fences.

It;s an especially bad year for aphids. How big are your plants?

Mojisola

Ladybird larvae  won't move very far from where you place them, especially if there's plenty of food to keep them busy. 

quirkydeptless

I have a cherry tree that the blackfly feed on en masse, so I did put some paid for ladybird mercenaries out in the garden last year and an insect hotel for them to hibernate in.

I thought afterwards it was a bad idea, as I expect they just flew off Better to use the larvae in an open garden. Quite amazing to watch them bulldoze their way though the poor little plant sucking critters.

However this year I'm seeing a lot of Ladybird larvae fixed to leaves in the transformation stage at the moment, so I don't know if it was due the extra lot I unleashed, or if it is a good year for ladybirds.

Mojisola

Ladybird larvae are amazing creatures - but they don't look cute and some get killed by gardeners, thinking they are pests rather than friends.

www.gardenersworld.com/plants/garden-wildlife-identifier-ladybird-larvae/