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Blackfly on my Acer - is Ladybird Larvae a good solution?
Hello I have an Acer in my back garden that is pretty infested with black fly at the moment and I wondered if the solution might be a ladybird larvae product the like of which I can purchase from RHS store? It says there are 100 larvae per packet and that ‘a general guideline is to use 3-5 ladybird larvae per infested plant’ but I’m wondering how many I would use for an Acer tree and if it’s not all of them, what should I do with the rest of the larvae?
Just seeking advice as I have not done this before. I vave attached a photo of the tree and a photo example of what most of the leaves look like when I stand underneath, if this helps?
(I live in Coleraine, Northern Ireland)
Appreciate any steer you can give me, thanks!
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If you see any adult ladybirds or their larvae relocate them to the tree. I've never used nematodes or any introduced predators because I feed the birds and don't use pesticides so there's a balance.
Don't use a chemical spray or diluted washing-up liquid as these are indiscriminate and kill the good guys too.
Thanks Obelixx, I also feed the birds, peanuts, meal worms and seeds, every day and have done for a long time. I love birds and we have quite a few diff species that come, and yet the blackfly prob is still there. But, I have just this morning moved one of the feeders onto one of the Acer branches and so perhaps that will help.
Grateful for your input!