Ladybugs....4U???

[Medman]

Anyone know if they eat mites? I know 4U uses em, not sure if to control mites or aphids. As far as I know they only eat aphids but if they feed on mites too I need to get some. Reason I'm wondering is my hydro shop is trying to sell me a package of 2000 mite preds and I would much rather add 20-30 ladybugs to my room than 2000+ bugs.

 

[phatpharmer]

Hi there I do no that lady bugs eat mites but I believe they can only eat up to 10 a day so you would have to get quite a few to keep up with the infestation! Hope that helps :hubba:

 

[Medman]

Well off to the shop to buy some mite preds. The shop owner assured me after they eat the mites they'll die off. One of my main concern was getting rid of one bug to just be replaced by another.

 

[phatpharmer]

Good luck and I think I no what bugs your getting there also a mite that eats mites! I haven't used them but here nothing but good things!

 

[lordhighlama]

a mite that eats mites and then dies. Seems almost too good to be true. Let us know how it goes!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

If the mite population is established, the predator mites are not going to be able to take care of the spider mites--they will not eradicate them. About the best you can hope for is that they don't get worse. Ladybugs are not good for mite control.

 

[Medman]

I've pyrethrum bombed twice in the last two weeks and been spraying with safers soap inbetween. Now just released 5000 of em. Very little mites left so hopefully these things can take the rest of em down or at least keep them at bay. Phytoseiulus persimilis is the species. My shop guy described them as a wolf in a herd of sheep. Now all my girls and me are crawling with little teeny tiny red mites.

 

[Lemmongrass]

what about nematoads? bust out the biological warfare. i have a normal floro for light outside my room and it attracts 2-5 ladybugs a DAY from the house... i guess they are breeding somewhere in the house because they all fly up to this one fixture. i stop to harvest it every time i walk by and toss the ladies onto the canopy. i use outside dirt so i get occasional flies/gnats and i figure the ladies cant hurt. they will end up in your hood tho...

 

[Medman]

Aren't nematodes roundworms? What do they do?

 

[Lemmongrass]

hxxp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN46800.pdf all you need to know.

 

[Medman]

Very interesting information Lotek. Thank you, I will be adding this to my favorites list.

 

[Lemmongrass]

what i just did ;]

 

[420benny]

I have ladybugs on my 6 plants. You can see them in action in my sig grow. THG is right. They won't take care of the problem. They will eat every one they can, though. Makes me feel good, even if it isn't wiping them out. Call it part of the plan, not the answer.

 

[Old Hippy Toker]

"Ladybug,ladybug, fly away home..." thats what they seem to do alright...
Everytime I've tried them they just seem to dissapear to ? Same thing with the different predators. I agree with the Goddess they wont cure the problem. I used a product called "That Stuff Spidermite Destroyer" and it got rid of my mites with two applications-no burned plants and no bad taste at the end!

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Anyone know if they eat mites? I know 4U uses em, not sure if to control mites or aphids. As far as I know they only eat aphids but if they feed on mites too I need to get some. Reason I'm wondering is my hydro shop is trying to sell me a package of 2000 mite preds and I would much rather add 20-30 ladybugs to my room than 2000+ bugs.

:ciao: yes i use them 4 mites..and other bugs..I keep them in the fridge and let out a few hundred at a time..they seem to last a few days to week..depending on how much they have to eat..they will last 30 days in fridge..just need to add damp spounge to bag. Good luck hope this helps:bolt::bong: