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Ladybirds for mealybug control - effective?

Just moved house… my new garden is wonderful, but there are mealybugs on almost everything. I’ve heard you can buy ladybirds and they will eat the mealybugs. I have three questions about this: 

1. Does this method really work? If not, what’s a better option?

2. Should I buy adult ladybirds, or larvae?

3. Won’t I just end up with an infestation of ladybirds (I have my back door open a lot, don’t really want a house full of ladybirds, haha)

Cheers!



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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Of you buy the adults, what's to stop them flying into someone else's garden?😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • PegathaPegatha Posts: 94
    @B3 I did wonder about that! I thought maybe they wouldn’t need to leave until they’ve finished eating all the food (ie, the mealybugs) in my garden 😅

    I’m not sure, if I buy larvae, where I’m supposed to put them. I’m assuming I add them to water and pour the water in the soil around the plant, like with nematodes. But then, if the larvae are in the soil, they’re not eating the bugs that are on the plant, only the ones in the soil. Until they become adults… in which case, as you say, maybe they’ll just fly off? I don’t understand how it works 😂
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Me neither. Hopefully someone knowledgeable will turn up soon
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    Ladybird's lay their eggs on plants, larvae hatch from them and devour all the bugs in their path. Definitely no water involved in the process, if you put them in water they'd just drown. I've never bought any before but am about to as my Czar plum looks like a savoy cabbage at the moment. I had ladybird larvae lay waste to an aphid infestation on my green gage last year but that was in July. I was doing my annual prune and as well as all the aphids, there were loads of ladybird eggs and larvae on it. I relocated them all back onto the tree (which took ages) and put the twigs with aphids in the tree for them to polish off. I've only seen one ladybird so far this year and no eggs at all and I really can't wait another couple of months. I'm going to get them from this website https://www.greengardener.co.uk/product/adult-ladybirds-1610537217/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1MajBhAcEiwAagW9Mcht8D2f0ChsD-yYjgrJWnd0vOonsC0QjIX74FDApD-lc-urv1rcRhoCDEEQAvD_BwE According to the description, you put them into a release bag and put them on the plant in question. I'm also going to get some adults to take care of some other areas (in theory) since they can fly from plant to plant. Of course there's always the chance that they'll fly off out of my garden but that's just the way it goes. I've had dozens upon dozens of ladybird larvae in my garden but have yet to see a single adult in my house.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited May 2023
    In nature, predators and food reach a balance.  IF there is an excess of mealy bug, their predators will arrive and breeed; it may take a while for the predator population growth to catch up.

    Or you can spray.  Commercial sprays
    or:  1. washing up liquid diluted,  2. vegetable oil. 3.  veg oil emulsified with washing up liquid and water.  Both stop insects breathing. 

    If you are careful you can hit the bad guys and not the friendly guys.  If you have the time you can paint individual mealy bugs.

    Lady birds often hibernate in the space in my secondary double glazing.  When they wake up, I have to help them find their way out.

    Purchased ladybirds have no loyalty to their new owners.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think it would be better to look at why there are so many mealy bugs  :)
    They're quite unusual in outdoors spaces, and more common in moist, humid areas, which is why they're often in greenhouses ,or on indoor plants generally. 
    Are you sure that's what you actually have @Pegatha ?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • skankinpickleskankinpickle Posts: 119
    edited May 2023
    I was thinking about getting a "bug hotel" with a few ladybirds as there do not appear to be so many around here.

    I also thought they may just fly off into neighbouring gardens, but worth a try. And some in the area is far better than none (or nun as a cricket commentator might say).

    By the way. What is the spikey potted plant at the front in your photo?
    Pegatha said:




  • PegathaPegatha Posts: 94
    Thank thank you all for your replies! I’m going to reply to you all individually now x 
  • PegathaPegatha Posts: 94
    @februarysgirl you must have a lot of patience to do all that transplanting! I’m glad it worked for you. Thank you for the link, this is really helpful ☺️
  • PegathaPegatha Posts: 94
    edited May 2023
    @bédé perhaps if I wait a while, the predators will turn up. If not, I might try your washing up liquid spray idea. I have done that with my indoor plants on occasion!

    PS your comment about loyalty made me laugh

    PPS I don’t know why the first part of this reply is in bold font, I don’t seem to be able to undo it 😂
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