Ladybug Question

I am a relative newbie at this gardening thing. I ordered some ladybugs because I had aphids on my Mandevillas and something on my Bougainvilleas. I put my ladybugs on the plants at night like the instructions said. The first time I found a bunch of them looking dead in the dirt of the pots, I thought I got a "bad" shipment. I have a new ladybug shipment now and the same thing is happening. I went out to water my plants just now and there in the bottom of some of the pots were scores of ladybugs. I also kept them in the refrigerator. They were only 1 day old this last time.

I live on a bayou in south Louisiana, and there are certainly plenty of other sources of food for them if they don't get it from my plants. They could fly away to other plants around here, couldn't they? I have used no chemicals or pesticides. Am I doing something else wrong? I hate to kill a bunch of ladybugs by doing something wrong.

Any help would be appreciated. (I do know they can "play dead," but it doesn't look like that's what they are doing).

Kaye C.

kayec, did you tell your source about this and did they have any advice? Did you take them immediately from the fridge to the outdoors? If so, the severe temp change maybe affected them........just guessing here. I experimented one time (having read how to do this) at the end of the summer I took a handful of ladybugs, wet a paper towel thoroughly, then placed them with the paper towel into a clear plastic container in the fridge. Every week I would take the container out and allow them to come to room temperature, then back into the fridge. Come spring, most of them were still alive and out they went in the garden. I wish you luck with the "helpers" and they are indeed. Keep us posted.

I let the ladybugs come to room temperature (and they were crawling about like mad) before I took a teaspoon full for each pot. They were so active, I had them all over my shirt, etc. before I could get them in all of the pots, so I know they weren't dead (this was the 2nd shipment). My source supplied me with another shipment for free in case the first shipment was dead.

What a great idea to put them in a wet paper towel. I did wet the cotton bag they came in as instructed. Maybe they needed more water or something. It was weird that they were floating around in the dirt and water in the pots today.

I plan on taking them out of the refrigerator tomorrow and let them come to room temperature again and try it again tomorrow night. I did see some of them going about their business on my Bougainvilleas, but only a few on my Mandevillas. The ones that were working were very busily running around.

I'll keep you posted, as I love these bugs. Sounds crazy I know, but they are such "happy"-type, helpful bugs.

Thanks for your response.

Kaye C.

Wet down your plants first, before you release them. They have been gathered up months earlier and are severely dehydrated at this point. Keeping them in the fridge has kept them in a semi-dormant state, but they would have revived by now in their natural environment, and had some food. Sometimes spraying the plant with a sugary water first is helpful - it gives them a quick energy boost.
The goal is to have them mate and lay eggs, which will hatch into LB larvae, which can't fly away and will stay to eat your aphids.

CJ: Thanks for your advice. I'll do this also. I sure don't want to lose all my Ladybugs!

Kaye C.

I think they come with a little map to California!

CJ: LOL! Maybe they'll stop by your place in The Woodlands for a layover on their way back to California. Let's hope so, because I lost a lot of them!

Kaye C

I'm waiting....

I can tell you for sure they don't like Southern California- Los Angeles County.
When I let them go allways leave instantly if not sooner.
I think they are headed to the Marijuana fields growing in Humbolt county up north.
Or maybe they are gay and heading for San Francisco-I never see any Larva on my plants either.
I prefere using Green Lacewings.They stick around and eat a bigger variety of bugs.

Smokemaster: Tell me about green lacewings. I like to use bugs in my gardening and so does my neighbor, who has a much large gardening area and more luck with gardening than I have.

I gave her some of my ladybugs last night (after letting them come to room temperature and reminding her to water the plants before releaseing the ladybugs) and she's going to see how they do on her plants.

Where do you order green lacewings?

Thanks.

Kaye C.

Forive me - I did not proofread my message. I'm not a bad speller - really!

Kaye C

I get green lacewings from my local nursery.
They are from Tip Top bio.

Here is a link with their address in it thats about scale and mealy bugs.

I use them -Tip Top-because they are really close to where I live.
You can google bio pest controls and find a bunch of different companies.
They might be cheeper or more expensive I don't know.

For Aphids only ,there is a wasp that can't be beat for getting rid of them.Little tiny guys that lay eggs in the aphid.I've got a ton of mummies on my plant and never see an aphid that isn't dying or dead from being a dinner for the wasp larva.

If I give someone a plant I tell them not to poison the aphids and show them a few mummies on it and tell them about the wasp larva thats probably in the few live aphids on the plant.
Usually the wasps establish themselves pretty fast and soon the whole garden is full of dead and dying aphids.Here in Ca. both the wasps and lacewings overwinter.
The wasps i have indoors on my sprouts usually whether I like it or not.
They are anywhere I have an aphid.
The lacewings I don't remember how they overwinter.I think it says in the tip top link I'm not sure.

Here is part of whats in the other post:

Aphid Exterminator "aka" Green Lacewings
----------------------------------------------------------
Scientific Name
Chrysoperia carnea, C. comanche and Chrysoperia rufilabris

Temperature range
60°– 80° Fahrenheit, 20% – 80% relative humidity.

Adult
Green or brown fragile insect with a small head, large eyes and transparent net wings.

Eggs
Small, white or green, on end of a hair-like filament, attached to leaf or stem.

Larva
"Aphid Lion" is alligator shaped, grows 2 to 3 weeks. Consumes 200 – 300 Aphids in its life.

Pupa
In a silk cocoon for 1 week.

Feeds On
-------------
Aphids, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider Mites, Thrips, Whiteflies, small Caterpillars, insect eggs, and larvae. Nectar and pollen for the adults, also Beneficial Insect food.

Shipped
A) As eggs in rice hulls, or on cards B) Pre-fed larva in frames (individual compartments) or bottles, C) Adults.

Release Rates
Release immediately. Interiorscape: 1,000 eggs per 500 sq. feet; Gardens: 1,000 eggs per 2,500 sq. feet; Field Crops: 5,000 per acre.
----------------------------------------------------------------

I get a small pack for I think it was $7.00 or $8.00.
I release them in 2 x the amount of envelopes than they say to.these guys will munch on each other on their way out of the envelope if they see each other.
I haven't baught any this year because they are here from last year.

Look up all the different bugs you have to control in the tip top sight and decide what you might need.
I mostly get whatever eats the widest variety of bugs and is the most prolific and can handle any weather we might have.
I haven't had to spray any poison this year so far.
I thaught I was going to have to break out the pump sprayer but then my overwintered bugs showed back up and took care of the problem for me.
The only thing I need to find a control for this year so far is crickets,grasshoppers and cockroaches(the big ones-water bugs).
The bio control for grasshoppers only comes in big amounts and has a shelf life.
Nematodes for roaches can't handle the 100 degree days we have and they die off in my pots after the soil gets warm...

I'd check out the site for insect info and then maybe google to find the best price if your going mail order.

I walk down the street to get mine -the nursery is a couple hundred yards away from where I live.
I still haven't decided if thats a good or bad thing yet.
I tend to do my banking there at times-exchanging my paycheck for other kinds of green stuff. LOL
I keep hearing those darn hot pepper plants calling me.Telling me they need a new home. ..

Smokemaster: You gave me a world of information which I'll follow up on.

We certainly have the humidity down here - I live on a bayou in South Louisiana right outside New Orleans and 150 feet off of Lake Pontchartrain. We don't get many 100 degree days in summer; mostly 90's, but the humidity is also 90's - like walking into a wet blanket. I do most of my gardening on my porches. I have a West Indies style house which is raised 17 feet off the ground with large porches all the way around and 3 of them get plenty of sun because the hurricane took all of my oak trees (all bald cypress survived - they're in their element). I am really enjoying being able to have flowers now. For 25 years I could not grow any flowering plants due to the huge oak trees. I loved the oak trees - they were so old and stately, but nature did it's own thing and they're gone now. In return, I got the sun to grow flowers.

Please keep me posted as to a CHEAP place to buy good bugs. Those ladybugs were extremely expensive when I added in $20 something for shipping.

I certainly do appreciate all the information you and others on this forum have given me. It's a pleasure to be able to communicate with like-minded people.

Thanks again.

Kaye C