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& Releasing of Ladybugs Aphid control with ladybugs is highly effective. Whether you have aphids in large trees, flower shrubs, rose bushes or vegetable plants. Upon arrival of your package of ladybugs, place them in a refrigerator. Packages of 36,000 (1/2 gallon) and 72,000 (1 gallon) that feel hot on arrival will require blow air through the bags to cool them down. You can do this by hold the bag in front of a fan for a few minutes, then you can keep the ladybugs in cool location, such as a refrigerator. During very warm or hot weather we ship our small packages (1,500) of ladybugs in cloth bags, all larger amounts are always shipped in cloth bags. DO NOT STORE WARM LADYBUGS IN AN ICE CHEST, THEY WILL OVER HEAT AND DIE! If you can hear the ladybugs moving around in their bags or see them running around the cups, then they are warm. Ladybugs are stimulated by warmth and light. The more heat and the greater the light the more excited they become. Very excited ladybugs are not effective aphid and other soft bodied pest eaters. During periods of high heat the best time to release ladybugs is the evening after the sun has begun to set. Otherwise you can release the ladybugs the very late afternoon. The first step is take a hose or use your sprinkler system to light mist down the release area. This will cool the plant and the release area down and provide some moisture for the ladybugs to drink when they are released. Open the bag or cup and scatter a portion at the base of the tree, shrubs or garden plants that have the aphids. You can use the whole package, but it is better to use about a 1/3 and save the rest for a couple of days later. The ladybugs will then climb up into the plants and spread out looking for pests to eat. Ladybugs feed primarily on aphids but will eat other pests, such Looper and Caterpillar eggs, Mealybug, Spider Mites and Whitefly. Ladybugs are not the ideal control for these pests but they will have a positive impact on the control of these pests.
For fruit tree and vegetable gardening, follow up releases anywhere from one week to two weeks later.
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