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Why not to buy ladybugs
Things you never knew about ladybugs for sale
Since ladybugs are one of the most common beneficial bugs mentioned in the organic literature, many home gardeners turn to this solution in order to control aphids problem.
It is true that Ladybug larva can eat about 25 aphids a day; adults can eat over 50, but before you run to buy ladybugs at garden centers or over the internet you need to know you're probably making a mistake.
It is important you will read this article and check the alternative beneficial bugs.
First thing you need to ask is: "Where do these ladybugs for sale come from?"
It is a common error to thing they are just bred. The truth is they are being "harvested" from their aggregation sites during the winter
Scientists have found that indoor-reared ladybugs fail to find their own food when released outside so the majority of commercially available ladybugs are collected from the wild.
Most ladybugs for sale are the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens. After the ladybugs have fed all summer, they head up into the mountains by the millions to spend the winter time. While resting they gather in huge clusters.
Mmmm.... Did I get the full cycle Hibernation ones?
It is then, while they are hibernating, all the suppliers pick them up. Next, the beetles are either packaged and shipped out to retailers or they're held in refrigeration to end their hibernation.
Now, if you got beetles that did not end their hibernation cycle, they won't lay eggs when released! You just spent your money and got "broken" Beatles.
However if you did get lucky and got the "good" fertile lady beetles, most of the time, right after they’re released, the beetles will migrate before starting to feed or laying their eggs!
Why is that? Well, this is what they do after hibernation, they fly back to the feeding grounds. So in most cases, they’ll migrate right out of your garden leaving very little effect on your garden aphids.
The Ladybug paracitic wasp
Another big problem is a small parasitic wasp called Perilitus coccinellae. This wasp does what many parasitic wasps do, they lay their eggs in the larva, pupa or adult ladybug mostly at the ladybug aggregation sites. The parasite larva is hatching from the adult lady bug several days after the ladybug ends it's hibernation.
This wasp exists in 11% of the west coast ladybugs and more then that in Europe.
The thing is there is no test for the parasite, so you probably end up adding them to your garden when you buy your ladybugs.
The bottom line is: purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs, which almost certainly what you will find at retail outlets, will not do much good for your garden, and you probably end up introducing non-native species into your local ecosystem.
Elimination of wild ladybugs
Last but not least, purchasing these ladybugs contribute to the elimination of the wild ladybug populations. The people that collect them do not see the longer term consequences of their actions.
I am positively sure that if more people knew about these facts, purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs would have been stopped long ago.
Does this mean that you cannot control your garden aphids with beneficial insects? Not at all!
These are beneficial bugs you can purchase without any concern!
They are bred in labs
Will not migrate
Kill Aphids
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