Has anyone bought Ladybirds?

arealhighlander

Ladybirds are the natural predator for aphids, greenfly etc. I know you can buy Ladybirds, and Ladybird larvae etc. I wonder if anyone has ever done this, was it successful? I am thinking of buying some to let loose in the Greenhouse, Im sick of greenfly!

Im sure theres a few places you can buy them online, Ive been looking at http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acatalog/Ladybirds.html

BUBBLES_3

I Have not bought Ladybirds but Ive bought Nematodes for killing slugs. These are microscopic worms that live naturally inthe soil predating on slugs. All you do is increase the normal population to be more effective. Product is 'Nemaslug' to apply to large areas use a hose end sprayer like www.superspray.co.uk You can buy products for lawns which have other bugs to cope with such as Chafer grubs, there is also one for caterpillars. I guess these arnt as mobile as ladybirds.

http://www.superspray.co.uk/feeding%20long%20lawn.JPG

bella165

they are brillint and worth the cash to keep them bugg ers away weve just order ours

Dustykitten

I've brought the ladybird larvae - hard to know if they made any difference or got eaten by a bird? Do you know what larvae look like? I didn't before I got some.

Davesnave

Some natural products, like nematodes to kill vine weevil larvae, work a treat and are more effective and cheaper than chemicals. Others, I'm not so sure about. You get 20 million nematodes in a pack, not that I ever counted mine, but how many ladybird larvae do you get?...and how long till they turn into adults and fly away?

I feel a bit sorry for the loss of chafer grubs. The adult beetles used to be a common sight on warm, May evenings, repeatedly bashing themselves against street lights. We'd collect dazed ones, put them in a box, take them to school and scare the hell out of the girls with them -happy days!

~Chameleon~

Davesnave wrote: »

I feel a bit sorry for the loss of chafer grubs. The adult beetles used to be a common sight on warm, May evenings, repeatedly bashing themselves against street lights. We'd collect dazed ones, put them in a box, take them to school and scare the hell out of the girls with them -happy days!

I really, really, really hate those things!!!!! :eek: _pale_

I must have found almost 100 grubs in the garden whilst digging over the last few weeks, all of which became bird fodder

Plum_Pie

You can all come to my garden and collect some for free.

I am plagued all year round with LBs of all shapes, colours and sizes. (The bigs ones are American, I think.)

arealhighlander

Thanks all, Ive decided Im going to get a Ladybird house and some attractant stuff. A neighbour of mine one street down says she gets loads of LBs, so I just need to attract them up my way

Lotus-eater

I've found a really aphid attracting blackcurrant bush attracts loads of ladybirds
and a patch of nettles I have down the bottom of the garden