ladybird larvae - best use?

[kathyd]

Hi. I'm about to buy 10 ladybird larvae from someone who has ordered too many. I've not used them before so advice on the best way to use them would be appreciated please.

I have very large fat greenfly on my lupins in the garden, but so far most of my veg appears OK, even in the polytunnel...(touch wood). I don't know how useful it is to put ladybird larvae in the garden? I have a few broadies in the garden which are currently home to ants, but I'm assuming they'll get blackfly soon - do ladybird larvae eat those too? I don't want to waste the larvae, so advice pls!

Thx

[redser]

Sorry I cant help with that axactly. But just to say that over the past few days I've noticed tons of new ladybirds about the place. You can see the 'black shells' stuck all along the windbreak all over the plots and they have been hatching. So I've been scooping them up and putting them in my tunnel and on my blackcurrants which are covered in greenfly.
So maybe that's useful, maybe not. Keep an eye out as it might be the right itme of the year for them to hatch.

[rustylady]

Put them where they will have a food source, i.e. the lupins. If you put them in the polytunnel where there are no aphids then they will starve.

[kathyd]

That's what I figured RL - do you happen to know how many aphids a single larva will eat? I don't have all that many lupins.. beginning to wonder if I've made an offer I shouldn't have done..

[rustylady]

Info on ladybirds here for you Kathy Facts About Ladybugs – 10 Cool Facts About Ladybugs

[redser]

Thats a good point. I do have some in the tunnel but thankfully its not such a big problem. I have permenanty open vents at the top of the gables so hopefully they can fly out if they are not getting enough to eat.

[kathyd]

Thanks for the link RL, really useful . I guess ladybirds could fly out redser, but I've offered to buy the larvae - I'm not sure they'd be able to escape if they got hungry. I'm finding myself almost hoping I get an infestation by tomorrow, just so I can feed the larvae! Daft isn't it....

[redser]

I know I was thinking I could harvest some greenfly and bring it in. I wonder do they eat anything else? That link didn't work for me.

[kathyd]

Apparently they eat any soft-bodied bugs including scale insects, white fly, presumably black fly etc. The article said a larvae will eat 'hundreds' of aphids as it grows, and an adult ladybird around 50 aphids a day... I don't have that many! At least not on a quick inspection - will go hunting later! Lol

[rustylady]

I shouldn't worry Kathy, aphids breed at an alarming rate

[kathyd]

I shouldn't worry Kathy, aphids breed at an alarming rate

I'm not sure I should have 'liked' this RL!