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The Aphid
Destroyer Info Page
Chrysoperla species (kry-SOPE-er-lah)
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The
Aphid Destroyer
Why
should you use Green Lacewing instead of Ladybugs? |
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Lacewing will not fly away after
they are released, they will feed for about 3 weeks as larvae before
changing into attractive egg laying adults.
Lacewing are fresh, ready to use, aggressive predators always looking for
pests to eat.
Lacewing are raised in commercial insect farms, ladybugs must be harvested
from the wild and much of the year they must be stored for months in
refrigeration.
Lacewing feed on Aphids, caterpillars, Loopers, Mealybug, Scale crawlers,
Spider mites, Thrips, Whitefly and many other pests. Ladybugs mostly only
feed on Aphids.
They Are So Small, I can’t See
Them How Do I Know They Are Working ?
When Lacewing hatch they are tiny,
about 1/32 of an inch long, They will grow larger, to about 3/8 to 1/2
inch long, quite quickly. Signs
that your Lacewing are working are the white dried out Aphids on the
leaves or flowers of your plants. These are Aphids that the Lacewing have
eaten. Additional signs are an overall reduction in the soft bodied pests
in your garden.
How Often Should They Be Used ?
Three applications 2 weeks apart will
provide the basic results for home gardens. Intensive gardeners and
commercial
landscape management or nursery production will require applications every
2 to 3 weeks apart through the growing season to keep pests under control.
Just as most pesticides require regular applications of 3 to 14 days apart
for effective results so do most predators and parasites. Effective pest
management requires regular control or prevention measures. The use of
lacewing can greatly reduce or eliminate the need for most garden
insecticides.
The benefits to the environment and personal health effects of this sound
pest management practice make Lacewing an obvious choice for part of your
bio control program. Treating the soil with beneficial nematodes is
another means of preventing many plant feeding pests from ever emerging
from the soil to begin with.
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| Chrysoperla spp., Green Lacewing
spp., Aphid Destroyer |
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INSECT
TRAPS - DON’T GET STUCK WITH THE WRONG INFORMATION
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Traps make an excellent partner for
monitoring the levels of your pest infestations, but by themselves are not
effective at controlling pests. They need to be combined with our bio
controls. With the knowledge gained from monitoring your traps you can
time your beneficial insect releases with maximum effectiveness. Place our
insect traps out shortly after planting to monitor for your plant pests.
Then release your bio controls. Professional crop managers use traps as
indicators for their bio control programs. Your production goals maybe
lower, but your pest control practices should be just as strong, i.e. Grow
Like A Pro.
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| Application of The
Aphid Destroyer |
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ALWAYS RELEASE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
1) Make your
application any time of the day, just avoid direct sunlight on the
containers during the application process because it will sterilize or
kill them.
2) Do not apply to dusty trees and plants. It is best to wash down dusty
plants and trees. Dust kills beneficial insects and pest Spider Mites are
attracted to dusty plants. Wait until the plants are nearly or totally dry
and then make your application.
3) Remember the minimum amount of Lacewing eggs/ larvae you want is 1 to 5
per small plant (tomato) 2 to 10 per medium shrub (rose bush) 50 to 100
per tree. per tree
Do not
release on rain days. Hot weather is fine.
Ideal temperatures range from 67F to 90F, higher
temperatures are tolerable. Relative humidity of at least 30% or greater
Releasing Loose
Lacewing eggs- Aphid Destroyer
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The most effective way to release the Lacewing
eggs is to hatch them.
Green eggs are fresh and take about 5 days to hatch from the packing
date
Gray eggs, were green and are the eggs that are about to hatch within
2 to 3 days
White eggs, are those that were gray and have hatched.
When releasing as eggs place the white bags on your
plants with paper clips or into the crotch of strong stems. Then mix the
Lacewing eggs (that are in the small cup) and the rice hulls (in the bag)
together and pour the mixture into the white bags. The eggs will hatch and
the larva will begin to hunt down the soft bodied insect and Spider mite
pests in your garden.
RELEASING
GREEN LACEWING LARVAE & MEDIA MIX
After hatching the larvae are often
found on the lid of the container so pop the top and look for them. They
will be tiny 1/16” to 1/8” long Alligator shaped like larva. They will
grow up to 1/2” long. Release promptly, they will eat each other if you
do not. The larvae are often near the top of the container so gently shake
the cup to move the eggs and larva around the whole container.
When releasing the larvae
disperse the bran or vermiculite and Green Lacewing larvae mixture onto
the foliage and flowers of your plants. Take the container of lacewing
larvae and shake it lightly of the tops of your plants or place the mix in
the crotch of the fruit trees. You can also attach the white bags to the
tree or plant and disperse the mixture in the white bags.
USING
BLACK LACEWING EGG CARD STRIPS
The Lacewing eggs are distributed
on the cards at the rate of a little more than 250 per set. Each segment
of 5 tabs has about 10 to 20 eggs each on it. Some have more, some have
less. When releasing as eggs place the hang the black card strips from the
plants. If you have more plants than cards, then cut the cards in half or
in quarters and attach to the plants with the french fry bags. Some of the
eggs may have fallen off the cards into the rice hulls (rice hulls are for
excess moisture and fallen eggs) Place the bran or vermiculite into a
french fry bag and attach to a plant.
Tomato Pest Defense Kit Moth
& Looper Destroyer Aphid Destroyer, Garden Pest Defense
Kits Fruit Tree Pest Defense Kit are Trademarks of Applied
Bio Pest. Copyright 81999 Applied Bio Pest, all rights
reserved. Please call Chris or Jamie at (805) 984 9224 or go to our
question and answer forum at our web site biopest.com with any
questions you may have 8 am to 6 p.m. (EST) .
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