Ray,

I figure that if they eat their fill of mealybugs (and I don't have a huge
infestation) and erradicate them it was worth the $8 I paid.

I hope they do move on after that and go into my garden to eat their fill of
bugs out there. If a few hang around to keep the mealybugs under control
they are welcome.

Gene


"Ray @ First Rays Orchids" wrote in message
...
I tried them a couple of years ago in my GH, and they worked fine. The
problem is that your 1800 ladybugs will eat a lot, and I certainly hope
you
don't have THAT big of a mealie problem. They're going to run out of food
quickly and will escape in search of more or will die quickly unless you
supplement the food. You can probably but bug food at the pace they came
from.

--

Ray Barkalow First Rays Orchids
http://www.firstrays.com
Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
If you do a search on Google for "ladybird beetle" you will find there
are
several different varieties of Lady Bugs.

One specifically eats mealybugs. There are stories about how they
brought
this one into save the crops where mealies were killing everything.

From what I read all of them eat mealies and soft bodied insects but
prefer
aphids and soft scale (hmmm think I saw some of that too in my plants).
I
figure if they can't get any aphids they will resort to whatever they
can
find and that will be mealies!

Keeping them in place is not a problem since my Greenhouse is a closed
environment except when I open the doors. I figure 1,800 Ladybugs
scouring
the plants for softbodied bugs is a good thing. It would take them a
while
to find the openings to the outside. If they move out into my garden
when
the weather warms that's a good thing too.

I'll let you all know how this experiment progresses.


Good Growing,
Gene