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In praise of ladybird larvae

CamelliadCamelliad Posts: 402
in Problem solving
It works - releasing ladybird larvae onto a blackfly infested plant worked!

I had a pot of cosmos and sunflowers and the stems were thick with blackfly. I'd hosed them off, and I'd squealed as my mum mercilessly wiped them off with a tissue (ewwww) but they kept coming back. Then I got the ladybird larvae, put some in a paper bag and tied them onto the plants, tipped some over the plants. I thought I'd made a huge mistake as it was quite a windy day.

After two days I thought there were fewer blackfly but I wondered if it was actually the case that there were fewer or if it was just because I wanted it to work.  It's now two weeks later and the blackfly have nearly all gone. Are the numbers waning because of the time of year? If not then it must be the ladybird larvae working because they are almost all gone - the stems are almost completely clear!

I'll admit, I was hugely sceptical and now I'm REALLY annoyed that I didn't take a before and after photo. I wish I'd taken a photo!!! I will next time. We've put up some ladybird houses in an effort to encourage them to stay, but I wanted to report back, because I'm so surprised. 

Unfortunately they did nothing to scare away the box moth but that's another thread...
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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    My runner beans were infested with blackfly,  they really looked dreadful. Then one day l looked and there was a ladybird, and over the next few days the larvae started to appear. 
    There are still some blackfly a few weeks later but nowhere near as many. Nature can be fascinating .🐞 🐞🐞🐞
  • CamelliadCamelliad Posts: 402
    Yes @AnniD just amazing to watch! I remember that we moved into our house in the week of the strange ladybird swarms in 2018. I thought it was something to do with the house and was ready to put it back on the market!! Who knew how much I'd appreciate them two years later.
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    Ladybirds did a great job on my blackfly infested french beans and on the greenfly on the sweet peas this year!
  • CamelliadCamelliad Posts: 402
    That's so good to read @Singing Gardener. Did you buy them in or did they naturally choose your garden? I'm hoping now that there are some they will come every year. I did spot one or two before I introduced the larvae but I think they weren't able to keep pace with the blackfly initially. I never thought I'd be so excited about it. I keep gesticulating at the cosmos and squeaking at my family!
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    I didn't buy them this year although I have in the past. I did move them around a bit though! I think my family think I am nuts when I drag them down the garden to admire the ladybird larvae!
  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    have you noticed that gardening mags mention ladybird larvae - then put a picture of a ladybird ! Doh! 99.99% of people know what a ladybird looks like but might squash the larvae.
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • CamelliadCamelliad Posts: 402
    @SueAtoo you are absolutely right!!! Until they turned up in the post I had no idea what ladybird larvae looked like. And I'm not young. I dread to think of all the times I brushed them off, not knowing what they were.
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    The first time I saw them I thought they must be a horrible pest but fortunately googled them to check.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    My garden has zero butterflies or ladybirds, despite heaving with aphids and loads of butterfly friendly plants. It's frustrating. I did consider buying larvae but thought Mrs Ladybird Ladybird might just fly away home.
  • CamelliadCamelliad Posts: 402
    @Fire I considered the same. The way I saw it was that when the larvae arrive they're ravenous (apparently), so as long as they are relocated to a food source they'll stay put. If they then reach maturity, lay eggs and the cycle continues then all the better, but at the very least, even if they then fly away, one or two plants would benefit from introducing the larvae, which they have. 

    What I'm not sure about is quantities really - I bought 50 and it was hard to tell whether that was enough or too few for my level of infestation. I was very conflicted - I didn't want the blackfly there but I wanted there to be sufficient quantities so that the larvae didn't starve...
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