Last year I had ladybird larvae by the dozen dropping from my apple tree
onto the bench below, so I was able to put them on various plants to do
their aphid eating thing (very successfully too)
This year I have a largish blackfly infestation on my marigolds, irises,
sunflowers etc and so far this year I have only found 1 ladybird larva. Why
aren't they around when you really need them? Was last year exceptionally
good for ladybirds or is this year a bad year?

Yep, I've noticed the same thing -- zillions of aphids, but no ladybirds.



"Pickle" wrote in message
...
Last year I had ladybird larvae by the dozen dropping from my apple tree
onto the bench below, so I was able to put them on various plants to do
their aphid eating thing (very successfully too)
This year I have a largish blackfly infestation on my marigolds, irises,
sunflowers etc and so far this year I have only found 1 ladybird larva.
Why
aren't they around when you really need them? Was last year exceptionally
good for ladybirds or is this year a bad year?

Pickle wrote:


Last year I had ladybird larvae by the dozen dropping from my apple tree
onto the bench below, so I was able to put them on various plants to do
their aphid eating thing (very successfully too)
This year I have a largish blackfly infestation on my marigolds, irises,
sunflowers etc and so far this year I have only found 1 ladybird larva. Why
aren't they around when you really need them? Was last year exceptionally
good for ladybirds or is this year a bad year?


Plenty ladybirds here... Poss a little late this year?
//

Jim
North London, England, UK

They are in Cheltenham. In my garden :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
They are in Cheltenham. In my garden :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Send some in the direction of Portsmouth please!

On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 14:34:31 +0100, "Pickle"
wrote:

This year have only found 1 ladybird larva. Why
aren't they around when you really need them? Was last year exceptionally
good for ladybirds or is this year a bad year?

Don't know about last year, but this year there are quite a few on the
Stinging Nettles along our road.

This is quite funny as I spent a lot of money on an Adalia Ladybird
"breeding" kit and they all died within a few days of the grubs
hatching. The same happened with a replacement set.

I then found that I had more freely available on my doorstep than I
could ever have hoped to raise myself.

What I would say is that there were loads of grubs in May & June. At
the start of July, the number of grubs is noticeably down. However, I
am now seeing more actual Ladybirds (presumably hatched from the
grubs...).

If it makes you feel any better, there are still loads of green &
black fly on the plants around us.

Colin
-----
(Please reply via the newsgroup)

Remember 1976 ? , they were in plague numbers here in Cheshire , but so
were greenfly .
Andy

"Pickle" wrote in message
...
Last year I had ladybird larvae by the dozen dropping from my apple tree
onto the bench below, so I was able to put them on various plants to do
their aphid eating thing (very successfully too)
This year I have a largish blackfly infestation on my marigolds, irises,
sunflowers etc and so far this year I have only found 1 ladybird larva.
Why
aren't they around when you really need them? Was last year exceptionally
good for ladybirds or is this year a bad year?