Has anyone had any luck using lady bugs for spider mites? - Page 3 - Cannabis Infirmary - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

-VT- · 09-30-2010, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captianchronic

Ladybugs eat soft bodied bugs.

https://www.ladybuglady.com
Ladybugs eat Aphids. Aphids are soft bodied insects that suck the juices out of plants. If you have roses in your garden, you have seen aphids. Aphids also come in a variety of colors and not all ladybugs like all the "flavors" of aphids. Ladybugs will also feed on scale insects and plant mites.

Lady bugs will eat young mites and larva. Like predatory mites they will not eat all mites.

That's what I've always thought (that ladybugs mostly eat aphids). Didn't know they eat some 'plant mites'. Wish she'd added some specificity regarding 'plant mites'. Only mites I've ever been fearful of are spider mites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiohi

I used some ladybugs once. They flew right into the lights and died.

That was my experience also. Not all of them, but most.

KarmasWheele · 09-30-2010, 05:22 AM

lady bugs will help maintain mites if you have enough of them but as the only form of treatment forget about it.........

Mr. Greengenes · 09-30-2010, 07:33 AM

Ladybugs don't eat many mites but their larvae sure do. With ladybugs the key is making them happy, and getting them to breed. Their larvae are known as Aphid Lions and they eat like ten times the amount their parents do, which is enough to do serious damage to the borg.

Probably the most effective effective 'knock down' beneficial insect is the Green Lacewing. Predator mites are great for striking a balance with smaller populations, but Lacewings are best for serious population control.

The Phoenix · 09-30-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krunchbubble

i worked at two grow stores. the reps from natures control said ladybugs dont eat spidermites, but our customers kept buying them for that purpose....
boss didn't mind, they kept coming back and buying more and more....

I only care about results. I grow hundreds of outdoor plants every season, and have personaly seen mite free plants after releasing a swarm of ladybugs. I watch the ladybugs combing the plants like machines going from leaf to leaf. Not sure how they do it, nor do I care, but I've seen them knock down mite populations before they disappear. I just refuse to use chemicals of any kind on my plants, natural or not.

straintester · 09-30-2010, 08:16 AM

Thats what I said.
They eat the larvae which is the biggest problem part since they can lay some many eggs.

tenoftrades · 09-30-2010, 08:38 AM

Mr. Greengenes do you have any advice for keeping the lady bugs happy? Humidity temps?
The infestation is not to bad at the moment and just got the lady bugs in. If they can win the fight for a few weeks I should be okay.

barney barn · 09-30-2010, 03:25 PM

I always see them little jumping spiders around my plants, they like the light heat. no mites yet...knock on wood.
they must find something to eat.

JohnnyHopkins · 10-01-2010, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrisgreenberg

dude what i meant was it was the ONLY thing that worked for me, i tried them all, i am sorry for the misrepresentation, i used all the insectisidal soap, neem, dont bug me by fox farm, rotenone pyrethrium concentrate. i have a whole cabinet full of these products and the only combo that works perfectly is floramite and azatrol. i use it in rotation and as a combo cus a highly repsected member told me about it . again forgive me please for not being specific

Sorry for jumping the gun..... here pass it after u hit it

morrisgreenberg · 10-01-2010, 04:05 AM

no doubt brother. i know many on here have a tough time even thinking about spraying plants, mother nature like many posters already have said, will only help with small populations, this plant is a cash crop, see we need to look at what the large industry growers use, and what they do is called "intergrated pest management" or IPM. in IPM they will use a specific insecticide along with beneficial insects"predators" the key on that large a scale is using sprays that do not harm these predators. but the key is they use certain insecticides in the feeding regiment, such as azatrol and azamax. this makes the plants poisonous. so its pick your poison, have these bugs albeit in smaller numbers weakening your yields or add chemicals and whipe them out and have a splendid harvest. PS the use of azatrol will not make your end product taste funn, not one bit, just stop use 2 weeks before harvest

straintester · 10-01-2010, 04:28 AM

Probably the biggest difference in how people treat their plants is whether THEY are going to be consuming them or selling them.
People spray them with poisons don't really care that it is toxic to you or I, they only care that their plants keeps growing and they get their profit.
So of course there are going to be differing viewpoints.
Some people grow for people with cancer , aids and /or other serious illnesses so their medicine HAS to be clean and organically grown. There is a big difference.

So the Integrated pest Management doesn't have to be natural predators vs. poisons.
There is a gentlier integrated pest control management with using biodegrable insecticides along with lady bugs but even some natural ones can kill them off.
With using natural pesticides to start off with one doesn't have a huge problem later on with that has be sprayed with poisons.
Many people rely on this plant as healing medicine so this is counter productive for those that care.

09-30-2010, 07:33 AM	#23
Mr. Greengenes Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,507	Ladybugs don't eat many mites but their larvae sure do. With ladybugs the key is making them happy, and getting them to breed. Their larvae are known as Aphid Lions and they eat like ten times the amount their parents do, which is enough to do serious damage to the borg. Probably the most effective effective 'knock down' beneficial insect is the Green Lacewing. Predator mites are great for striking a balance with smaller populations, but Lacewings are best for serious population control. __________________ "The first principal is not to fool yourself, and you are the easiest one to fool". R.P.Feynman
	Quote 1 members found this post helpful.

09-30-2010, 05:22 AM	#22
KarmasWheele Banned Join Date: May 2010 Location: chugging on over to mamby pamby land Posts: 946	lady bugs will help maintain mites if you have enough of them but as the only form of treatment forget about it.........
	Quote

09-30-2010, 08:16 AM	#25
straintester Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: in my head Posts: 602	Thats what I said. They eat the larvae which is the biggest problem part since they can lay some many eggs.
	Quote

09-30-2010, 08:38 AM	#26
tenoftrades New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 5	Mr. Greengenes do you have any advice for keeping the lady bugs happy? Humidity temps? The infestation is not to bad at the moment and just got the lady bugs in. If they can win the fight for a few weeks I should be okay.
	Quote

09-30-2010, 03:25 PM	#27
barney barn New Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: mich Posts: 9	I always see them little jumping spiders around my plants, they like the light heat. no mites yet...knock on wood. they must find something to eat.
	Quote

10-01-2010, 04:05 AM	#29
morrisgreenberg Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 228	no doubt brother. i know many on here have a tough time even thinking about spraying plants, mother nature like many posters already have said, will only help with small populations, this plant is a cash crop, see we need to look at what the large industry growers use, and what they do is called "intergrated pest management" or IPM. in IPM they will use a specific insecticide along with beneficial insects"predators" the key on that large a scale is using sprays that do not harm these predators. but the key is they use certain insecticides in the feeding regiment, such as azatrol and azamax. this makes the plants poisonous. so its pick your poison, have these bugs albeit in smaller numbers weakening your yields or add chemicals and whipe them out and have a splendid harvest. PS the use of azatrol will not make your end product taste funn, not one bit, just stop use 2 weeks before harvest
	Quote

10-01-2010, 04:28 AM	#30
straintester Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: in my head Posts: 602	Probably the biggest difference in how people treat their plants is whether THEY are going to be consuming them or selling them. People spray them with poisons don't really care that it is toxic to you or I, they only care that their plants keeps growing and they get their profit. So of course there are going to be differing viewpoints. Some people grow for people with cancer , aids and /or other serious illnesses so their medicine HAS to be clean and organically grown. There is a big difference. So the Integrated pest Management doesn't have to be natural predators vs. poisons. There is a gentlier integrated pest control management with using biodegrable insecticides along with lady bugs but even some natural ones can kill them off. With using natural pesticides to start off with one doesn't have a huge problem later on with that has be sprayed with poisons. Many people rely on this plant as healing medicine so this is counter productive for those that care.
	Quote