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#1
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Natural pest control - also available free....
I saw details of a place that sold Ladybird eggs (to hatch yourself)
and thought it sounded like fun. This was the Adalia kit, in the Organic Gardening catalogue. It was pretty expensive, but I was still game to try alternative ways of aphid control. Anyway, the kits and eggs turned up, most of them hatched, turned into wriggling larvae. Then died. It was at this point that I noticed that the Stinging Nettles along our road were *COVERED* in Aphids, Ladybirds and lots of Ladybird larvae. I don't reckon my harvesting will have depleted the environment much, and I was able to place the larvae directly on my worst affected plants. I'm still waiting for some replacements from Adalia, but reckon their model is probably flawed anyway. They recommend you keep the results until they've changed into Ladybirds (at which point you have no control over where it will fly off to). By contrast, the larvae eat a greater quantity of aphids and are slightly easier to control (though still very quick & wriggly). Colin ----- (Please reply via the newsgroup) |
#2
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Natural pest control - also available free....
"Colin Malsingh" wrote in message ... I saw details of a place that sold Ladybird eggs (to hatch yourself) and thought it sounded like fun. This was the Adalia kit, in the Organic Gardening catalogue. It was pretty expensive, but I was still game to try alternative ways of aphid control. Anyway, the kits and eggs turned up, most of them hatched, turned into wriggling larvae. Then died. It was at this point that I noticed that the Stinging Nettles along our road were *COVERED* in Aphids, Ladybirds and lots of Ladybird larvae. I don't reckon my harvesting will have depleted the environment much, and I was able to place the larvae directly on my worst affected plants. I'm still waiting for some replacements from Adalia, but reckon their model is probably flawed anyway. They recommend you keep the results until they've changed into Ladybirds (at which point you have no control over where it will fly off to). By contrast, the larvae eat a greater quantity of aphids and are slightly easier to control (though still very quick & wriggly). Colin I have said for quite some time now that if you can hold your nerve the greenfly predators will do the job. but I have plants with blackfly on them and the ants farming them throw off the ladybirds and their larva. Don't forget your other friends, lacewing and hoverfly which you can attract with suitable planting, I always put hoverfly attractants in the greenhouse and sure enough any colony of aphids has hoverfy larva with them. Bel |
#3
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Natural pest control - also available free....
"Annabel" wrote in message
... "Colin Malsingh" wrote in message ... I saw details of a place that sold Ladybird eggs (to hatch yourself) and thought it sounded like fun. This was the Adalia kit, in the Organic Gardening catalogue. It was pretty expensive, but I was still game to try alternative ways of aphid control. Anyway, the kits and eggs turned up, most of them hatched, turned into wriggling larvae. Then died. It was at this point that I noticed that the Stinging Nettles along our road were *COVERED* in Aphids, Ladybirds and lots of Ladybird larvae. I don't reckon my harvesting will have depleted the environment much, and I was able to place the larvae directly on my worst affected plants. I'm still waiting for some replacements from Adalia, but reckon their model is probably flawed anyway. They recommend you keep the results until they've changed into Ladybirds (at which point you have no control over where it will fly off to). By contrast, the larvae eat a greater quantity of aphids and are slightly easier to control (though still very quick & wriggly). Colin I have said for quite some time now that if you can hold your nerve the greenfly predators will do the job. but I have plants with blackfly on them and the ants farming them throw off the ladybirds and their larva. Don't forget your other friends, lacewing and hoverfly which you can attract with suitable planting, I always put hoverfly attractants in the greenhouse and sure enough any colony of aphids has hoverfy larva with them. Bel Do you use any plants especially to attract hoverfly etc, I already have marigolds in the greenhouse, but guess some other plants wouldn't go amiss esp if I can then attract more of the good guys. Duncan |
#4
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Natural pest control - also available free....
"Druss" wrote in message ... "Annabel" wrote in message ... "Colin Malsingh" wrote in message ... I saw details of a place that sold Ladybird eggs (to hatch yourself) and thought it sounded like fun. This was the Adalia kit, in the Organic Gardening catalogue. It was pretty expensive, but I was still game to try alternative ways of aphid control. Anyway, the kits and eggs turned up, most of them hatched, turned into wriggling larvae. Then died. It was at this point that I noticed that the Stinging Nettles along our road were *COVERED* in Aphids, Ladybirds and lots of Ladybird larvae. I don't reckon my harvesting will have depleted the environment much, and I was able to place the larvae directly on my worst affected plants. I'm still waiting for some replacements from Adalia, but reckon their model is probably flawed anyway. They recommend you keep the results until they've changed into Ladybirds (at which point you have no control over where it will fly off to). By contrast, the larvae eat a greater quantity of aphids and are slightly easier to control (though still very quick & wriggly). Colin I have said for quite some time now that if you can hold your nerve the greenfly predators will do the job. but I have plants with blackfly on them and the ants farming them throw off the ladybirds and their larva. Don't forget your other friends, lacewing and hoverfly which you can attract with suitable planting, I always put hoverfly attractants in the greenhouse and sure enough any colony of aphids has hoverfy larva with them. Bel Do you use any plants especially to attract hoverfly etc, I already have marigolds in the greenhouse, but guess some other plants wouldn't go amiss esp if I can then attract more of the good guys. Duncan I use whatever I have in pots at the time, at the moment its dwarf lavender and perennial wallflower. Just keep your eye on your borders to see what they are feeding on, yarrow is good later on. Bel |
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