Ladybugs are good for control, not eradication. The larvae are the big
mealybug destroyers. Which of course means the adults have to be happily
reproducing. They need a relatively cool (moderate and definately not hot)
greenhouse or cool places to hid during the heat. They need a plentiful
supply of food. If you don't have a bunch of mealybugs, you might try an
aphid infested branch from the garden to fatten them up for reproduction.
Water must always be availableon some surface for them to drink.
In short, they're not an easy fix for the problem and will more that likely
be gone or dead before the job is done. If you have a balanced ecological
system in your greenhouse (how many of us do?), the ladybugs will do their
part. Otherwise, other than for the novelty, you've basically wasted your
money and will be looking for another fix in a couple of months (or less).

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Today I saw a local nursury had ladybugs for sale. I bought a bag of
1,800
and released them in the greenhouse. I'm gonna get that last mealie bug
that crawling around in there and popping up every time I stop looking!

Anyone else try Ladybugs for mealiebug control?


Gene