Ladybird Larvae

[Sarico]

Sorry two sheds you told me about the garlic spray for the whitefly. I said other grape because I search other post for greenfly and somewhere they said about soapy water. If I see few flies I squish them but I'm so worry about greenfly whitefly aphid and other little pest that I start to think that I will be a pest for my veggie. I think is better leave the veggie alone for a bit and avoid to be so overprotective.

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, don't worry too much. Greenfly and whitefly are only a problem if they're REALLY in excess: a few aren't too bad, just keep an eye on them (they breed quick).

They're more damaging to weak young plants: get your plants strong & healthy and they'll cope better with the little sapsuckers

[Sarico]

Yep, don't worry too much. Greenfly and whitefly are only a problem if they're REALLY in excess: a few aren't too bad, just keep an eye on them (they breed quick).

They're more damaging to weak young plants: get your plants strong & healthy and they'll cope better with the little sapsuckers

I will every afternoon when I bring the plant in the house I give a shake to see if there are fly and then I check them underneath. Till now nothing apart the strawberry that are outside

[Two_Sheds]

I've got aphids really badly on the mint I have just put outside: it's new baby leaves are all wilty and floppy.
It was infested in the gh, so I put in a load of ladybirds and hopefully they've bred. It's now a waiting game to see if the ladybird larvae arrive before the plants succumb to their injuries

[chris]

(fingers crossed) I've no aphids around yet!

[BroadRipple]

am very impressed by you lot who have ladybirds/larvae - i have NONE (london) nor much sign of hoverflies. and an awful lot of aphidery, esp blackfly. i know this has been covered before but anyone have any ideas re: if it's worth buying £££ larvae online? or i wonder if anyone could post me some in exchange for, i dunno...seedlings/seeds/unconditional appreciation? has anyone tried inter-vine larvae-swaps before (sounds er unusual).

[BroadRipple]

aha, so, Twosheds, you've bought larvae? Where did you buy them, and how did you choose larvae rather than adults? Trying to decide if worth buying either - but need something, eek!

[BarleySugar]

Lavae eat more aphids, and are more likely to stay put; the adults could fly away. When I put my sweet potatoes out I found lots of small lavae in my kitchen for several days where the adults I'd put on them in the kitchen had produced babies, but they'd crawled off the plants onto the window sills etc.
I used to buy the caterpillars for school from Green Gardener, I think they do ladybirds too. Natural, organic controls including Nemaslug Slug Killer, Nemasys Vine Weevil Killer, No Ants and ladybirds for controlling slugs, vine weevils, ants, aphids, chafer grubs, leatherjackets plus home composting, wormeries and wildlife products. I don't know how they compare on price now.

[BroadRipple]

thank you BarleySugar, v helpful summary. Larvae it is then.

[Pa Snips]

I could do with a few ladybirds but haven't seen any this year.

Last year my teasel was covered in them but it was getting too big and was trying very hard to turn my front lawn into a teasel forest so I ripped it out of the ground...Doh!

[BroadRipple]

Hello - I obeyed your advice and ordered some larvae, but now I have a question. my fantastic kale plant (7 foot tall!) was being slowly consumed by billions of aphids, hence the larvae. but in the winds last week it blew over. my question is this: do i a)leave it on the tiny patio for the larvae to scurry away, magically finding their way to other plants...and for the aphids to do the same, or b)compost the whole lot, and risk losing the costly larvae? please help - am at a loss and my garden is almost entirely a horizontal kale tree...
happy jubilee/whatever, all