A spray-free gardener's best friend

[ApidAdi]

Green lacewing adults don't have functioning mouthparts! Their only purpose is to reproduce. They lay eggs on long stalks on the surfaces of plants. You may have seen them in your garden.

Their larvae, called aphid lions, are - as you might expect - voracious aphid predators. They look a lot like ladybug larvae, and perform the same function in the garden.

You can buy lacewing eggs online, glued to cards you set up in your garden. I almost wish I had an aphid problem so I could spend more time watching these amazing animals. Almost.

[I took the first image at work, the second two I scavenged from the Internet.]

 

[Beverly]

Oh, yes i have lots of lacewings and they are mostly beneficial unless you have caterpillar eggs or tiny caterpillars that want to grow up to be butterflies. Like lady beetles, lacewings don't come with a manual re what to eat and what not to eat. I have spoken with the lady beetles and asked them not to eat the caterpillar eggs or tiny caterpillars and they do concentrate on the aphids so i forgive them a caterpillars egg once in a while. I caught one red handed with a tiny caterpillar hanging out of its mouth. I did not scold because they have done so much to save my garden from the aphids and they are pretty much sacred. I haven't had a heart to heart with the lacewings though.

 

[roadrunner]

I have seen green lacewings and their eggs; it took me a while to ID those eggs as lacewings. I'm also a non-spray gardener, I don't even spray water to get the aphids off my plants. If the plant can't survive on its own, it becomes food for something else. Also those aphids attract the beneficial insects, so it's the price I pay. As of now I have tons of aphids on about 10% of my milkweed plants. I hate to see it, but I leave them there.

When I first started gardening I noticed that a lot of things were getting eaten, especially my Hostas, which were being devoured by snails. I knew all the tricks to keep the snails off, but I don't want to become a slave to my garden. It's also interesting to note that when I first started mulching I noticed a huge increase in the snail/slug population, so many that I could easily step on them as I walked in my garden.

However, now, a few years later, I don't see near the number of snail/slugs; I believe this is because they attract (along with everything else I do) various organisms, such as the mole, which eat them. Basically, in the beginning of a non-spray garden, you gotta expect an infestation, but with patience nature will balance things out. I have about a dozen broccoli plants out there now and I can't find a leaf on one that seem to have been eaten by bugs. A few years ago, I would have lost a few. BTW, I have tons of mole tunnels in my yard -- I love it

 

[ApidAdi]

I have seen green lacewings and their eggs; it took me a while to ID those eggs as lacewings. I'm also a non-spray gardener, I don't even spray water to get the aphids off my plants. If the plant can't survive on its own, it becomes food for something else. Also those aphids attract the beneficial insects, so it's the price I pay. As of now I have tons of aphids on about 10% of my milkweed plants. I hate to see it, but I leave them there.

When I first started gardening I noticed that a lot of things were getting eaten, especially my Hostas, which were being devoured by snails. I knew all the tricks to keep the snails off, but I don't want to become a slave to my garden. It's also interesting to note that when I first started mulching I noticed a huge increase in the snail/slug population, so many that I could easily step on them as I walked in my garden.

However, now, a few years later, I don't see near the number of snail/slugs; I believe this is because they attract (along with everything else I do) various organisms, such as the mole, which eat them. Basically, in the beginning of a non-spray garden, you gotta expect an infestation, but with patience nature will balance things out. I have about a dozen broccoli plants out there now and I can't find a leaf on one that seem to have been eaten by bugs. A few years ago, I would have lost a few. BTW, I have tons of mole tunnels in my yard -- I love it

I wish I had moles! Unfortunately my neighbor's cats (who are very sweet and I love them) kill whatever they can get their grubby little paws on. I wish I could make words so I could explain to them not to eat my wildlife!

 

[Beverly]

@roadrunner...i am surprised that your aphid-filled plants are not full of lady beetles. They can take care of that mess in no time. You can purchase lady beetles, maybe they haven't found you yet, but you would only need a very few because they reproduce and the little larvae eat like there is no tomorrow as do the adults. Once you get them established, they will not leave as long as they have an abundant supply of aphids.

 

[roadrunner]

Actually, I have tons of ladybugs, but their numbers are a little down now since it's winter, but they're still here; I also see a lot of ladybug larvae, they seem to like to lay eggs in my live oak tree, I find lots there. I'm fine with losing a few plants here and there to pests, it's just part of nature.

If you look into my garden, your first impression would be from all the flowering milkweed, you'd have to look closer to see the few plants infested with aphids. So as far as I'm concerned, the beneficials are doing their job. It's far better than when I first started gardening and your first glance would have been plants striving to survive as a result of being devoured.