Lady beetles

Many animals in the garden feed on pests. Some, like lady beetles, are more obvious than others, and get most of the thanks. Some we like for aesthetic or sentimental reasons and readily inflate their importance in the pest control stakes, such as toads. But many insignificant creatures work unnoticed, keeping pest populations below threshold levels. The animals pictured and described overleaf are effective pest control agents in the garden. 

Insects also appreciate having somewhere to live in winter. Lady beetles, earwigs, and other insects hibernate naturally in tufts of rough grass, dead leaves, and hollow plant stems, so delay cutting down flower stems and clearing your borders until the spring. 

Examine all new plant introductions ideally, quarantine new plants for a month. The best biological control is the predatory lady beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri optimum temperature 68-77°F (20-25°C). Alternatively, spray with insecticidal soap. Disturb the waxy coating covering colonies before spraying. 

A terpenoid, (—j-fl-caryophyllene, was identified as a gender specific sesquiterpene produced by the female multicolored Asian lady beetle, Har-monia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera Coccinellidae). ... 

As with insects—of which there are numerous species that are damaging to life processes (crop infestation, human discomfort, etc.), but also many that are beneficial (honeybee, lady beetle, etc.)—so are there both helpful and harmful bacteria. Bacteria play a major and constructive role in numerous processes that support life, such as food digestion and synthesis of vitamins. They serve as a basis for manufacturing antibiotics and as tools of genetic research. This list easily could be expanded a thousandfold. Some of the lcsscr-known examples arc cited here. 

Charles V. Riley Imported the Australian lady beetle to control cottony cushion scale on citrus... 

It should be clear to us that the development of resistance is always to be expected to any insecticide we may choose to apply, but it is not inevitable. DDT stayed effective against the European corn borer for at least 15 years (Table VIII) and there are several other examples, including diazinon and the western corn rootworm in Nebraska. Some of the species of beneficial insects which formerly suffered from insecticide damage, such as braconid parasites, lady beetles, mayfly nymphs and honeybees, have now developed certain tolerances, while several of the Phytoseiid mites which feed on the plant-feeding spider mites are becoming as resistant as their prey to OP s and carbamates. 

The (—)-enantiomer of /3-caryophyllene (T161) is a female-specific volatile in the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridu. 742 however, no biological activity has been reported. 

Place a lady beetle on one of the ten stems under study. Record behavior of beetle, aphids, and ants. Repeat for each of the remaining nine stems. 

Wash aphids from plants with a strong spray of water repeat as needed to control infestations. Encourage natural predators and parasites such as aphid midges, assassin bugs, iacewings, lady beetles, and spiders. If water sprays fail, apply homemade garlic or tomato-leaf sprays, or try sprays of alcohol, citrus oil, insecticidal soap, or neem. Use boric acid baits to control ants that herd aphids onto plants. As a last resort, spray or dust aphids with pyrethrin. 

Leaves, stems, and buds distorted, sticky clusters of small insects. Cause Aphids. Also known as plant lice, tiny aphids damage plants by sucking sap from leaves, stems, and buds. In addition, aphids transmit viruses that can injure plants long after the pests are vanquished. Use a strong spray of water to knock aphids off plants, or apply insecticidal soap sprays. Encourage natural predators such as lady beetles and lacewings. Treat severe problems with a commercial neem spray or pyrethrin spray or dust. 

Cut away and destroy severely infested plant parts. Use blue sticky traps to monitor and trap pests. Encourage native predators such as pirate bugs, lacewings, and lady beetles. Insecticidal soap sprays give some control of thrips populations, but may affect beneficials as well. To limit thrips infestation, dig corms early in fall and cut off tops before thrips move down into corms. Bag and discard debris. Dust corms with pyrethrin to control thrips in storage. Or soak them in a Lysol solution (IV2 tablespoons in 1 gallon water) for several hours before planting. 

Use a strong spray of water in the morning to knock aphids off glads, paying particular attention to the undersides of leaves. Encourage predators such as lacewings and lady beetles. If control is not satisfactory, spray with insecticidal soap. Treat severe problems with neem or a commercial pyrethrin spray or dust. Destroy seriously infested plants. 

Predatory insects such as lady beetles or ground beetles eat many other insects during their life cycles. Some have restricted tastes for example, aphid midges feed only on aphids. Others, like praying mantids or assassin bugs, may be able to eat almost any species of insect they catch. These general predators often eat pollen as well and may suck plant juices when food is scarce or they need water. 

A lady beetle should be one of your best friends in the garden. But its cousin, the Mexican bean beetle, can be one of your worst enemies. 

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