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Buglady, or anyone that can help ID these!

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2004
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by Meg on October 18, 2004 05:15 PM
I took a few snaps with my digital cam this morning, when I noticed my rudbeckia gloriosa daisies covered in these really icky looking critters!! Really close up view of the nasties!!

And here's a pic just to get you started..
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I just want to know how to get rid of them, and are they a threat to my other flowers!? These are really gross looking!!

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 18, 2004 07:51 PM
They are aphids, a very common problem in gardening. Here is a link with info for you
Aphids

You can control them with just soap and water. A 1% solution is all you need but always test a small area fist to make sure your plant is not going to have a phytotoxic reaction..

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 18, 2004 11:18 PM
Thank you so much! I have seen aphids before.. on my hibiscus! They nearly killed it! But, I had no idea these ugly things were the same! They look so different than the ones I found on my hibiscus, not green at all, mostly red/brown in color. Well, you see them. BUT, they do look a lot like that one picture you have on your site, with the mummied one. *blech* [Razz] These have got to be about the grossest thing I've seen in my flowers. *shudder*

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 18, 2004 11:25 PM
It takes a lot of aphids along time to kill a plant. My guess is there was something else wrong with your hibiscus. They are very finicky plants and defoliate easy.

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 19, 2004 12:11 AM
Yes, it's true.. I was also overwatering it at the same time it was being attacked. I found out they don't like to be so wet. So, I treated for the aphids (purchased some ladybugs), and stopped watering it for awhile, and whhaaaaaaaalaaaaaaaaaa.. it looks purty again! [flower]

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 19, 2004 12:44 AM
Before buying ladybugs again one thing you might want to think about is where they come from. Some suppliers sell ladybird beetles that have been "harvested" from natural winter aggregation sites. This means ladybugs in the western United States after feeding head up into the mountains by the millions to spend the “off season” in huge hibernating masses. These are usually convergent lady beetles, Hippodamia convergens. Collectors come along and scoop up the hibernating ladybugs and shipped them out for release. Once re-released they usually migrate before feeding or laying eggs, providing little or no control for your target pest. Another concern is harvested ladybugs may be parasitized by a small wasp, Perilitus coccinellae. It develops as an internal parasite of lady beetles and kills them. Harvesting from the wild is also not environmentally sustainable. [teacher]

I would look at lacewing larva. [thumb] They are very aggressive feeders and are commercially reared so not to take away from the natural ecology.

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 19, 2004 01:44 AM
I hadn't thought of the different reasons to NOT buy them. [perplexed] I did actually buy them online, from a place that was recommended by someone here (although they were recommending them to me for something else entirely, I found the ladybugs there). At the same time I bought the ladybugs, I decided to go for the lacewing eggs as well. Hmm. I put out the eggs with my sad pumpkins this summer. *said to hatch in days* I never saw one lacewing. Funny thing tho... a few days ago I found a dead lacewing on my bathroom sink. It was so pretty, with the shimmery wings.. I was kinda sad for it. But, other than that ONE lacewing, which was 3+ months after I put out the eggs, I haven't seen any. [dunno] I just figured I messed up the eggs or how they were put out. [perplexed]

Meg

ps- I had gotten the ladybugs for my hibiscus mainly, and the lacewings for my "pumpkin patch" ie- my front yard that was supposed to have pansies, but oooops. I had so many bugs come June from those pumpkins. *sigh* They started out so well...

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 19, 2004 01:54 AM
When putting out lacewing eggs you have to make sure there are no ants around. Ants will eat the eggs. If you buy larva to release, they can defend themselves better. You can even buy adults that will fly around and look for the pests and lay their eggs there on stalks, a natural defense.

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 19, 2004 03:07 AM
Aha, so mystery solved! I had aphids, so of course, I had ants. Ants= eaten eggs, so no lacewings. [thinker] I think I'm starting to get it now.

Seriously, you can buy them as adults?? Awww maaaaan. They are so pretty too.

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 19, 2004 03:36 AM
You can get them from Albany Insect Works
1490 Industrial Way SW, Albany, OR. 97322
541 924-0600 [teacher]

more lacewing info Lacwings

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Buglady on October 19, 2004 03:47 AM
sorry about the lacewing spelling typo in the post ... [nutz]

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 19, 2004 04:45 AM
If your'e still hanging around..

is it too late to get lacewings now? I'm in zone 6/7 in WV, and we're already getting night temps in the 30's. Or, better yet, when is the best time to get lacewings?

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!
by Buglady on October 19, 2004 06:08 AM
i would wait till next year. The aphids will die off in the cold. They will lay eggs so you will have them next year, just keep an eye out for when the population grows. Mother nature may keep them in check but if not you can get lacwings then.

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time
by Meg on October 19, 2004 02:34 PM
I really can't thank you enough for all the information you provide. You're a great asset here, and I'm glad that you had time to pop in for me. I know you're always so busy.

Meg

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I reject your reality, and substitue my own!
My favorite digital camera photos that I took.
My family, garden, and a bunch of misc. photos!

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