I finally found one on a plant and picked it up and moved it to one of the infected poppies and hoped it would go after the aphids. It took a couple of moments but as soon as the ladybug zeroed in on them it was a feeding frenzy. I hoped that this natural method of pest control would work while I went about my day. I came back later to check on the progress and found that the ladybug was gone but had eaten most of the black aphids. Since there were a lot of ants near by I think they may have scared off the ladybug since they farm and protect aphids in exchange for the honeydew that aphids secrete.
Below you can see a short video I put on YouTube of this Ladybug keeping the aphids under control. I'll go out tomorrow morning to look for more Ladybugs because I found more aphids on another plant. If the video doesn't show up try this link.
Yay for lady bugs! How great that you could get a ladybug to get down to work for you AND be photogenic!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeletefortunately this year I haven't seen aphids in my garden, but I wouldn't mind to see some ladybugs flying around just in case.
Ladybugs rule!
Cool video, thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteHey there Mr Brownthumb, Ladybugs will lay their eggs where a good supply of food is available. So an occasional outbreak of aphids is a good thing. Balance in all things...
ReplyDeleteHello everyone, thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteitalman, hope you get some in your garden if only for decoration.
Gloria,
That's a very good point that I'm glad you brought up. If you are fortunate to not have any pests around sometimes ladybugs will just go off somewhere else in search of food. Last year my neighbor had an infestation of aphids on her Rose of Sharon tree as it was budding out. I would go collect some and bring them to my yard-she had that many ladybugs. This year she sprayed so she doesn't have any aphids and no ladybugs.
Nice macro shot of the ladybug devouring aphids. The video made me a little seasick. ;)
ReplyDeleteKi,
ReplyDeleteLOL. I'll try and be more steady with future videos I may make or try them on less windy days.
I loved the video. It just made me laugh. Go ladybug!
ReplyDeleteGreat video! I like how she was shuffling her wings-wonder if that's like a human loosening their belt at the buffet?
ReplyDelete(HipOh_Potamus from twitter)
ReplyDeleteHello :) I came here to see if you had any tips/advice on what to do about my whiteflies/aphids/whatever-they-are problem.
They're so small, you can barely see them. There's no way I can photograph them to even try and show you. I've google-imaged what these things are supposed to look like and what's on my tomato plant looks nothing like it. They're white and literally not even .5mm big & there are SO many! Is there any hope? Should I just give up and toss her? ;( She's my 1st vegetable plant ever, I was so excited...
I picked up potted moss from Adams & Son on Saturday and immediate set the two up right next to each other. I had NO idea this would happen ;( Sorry for being a broken record/stalking you on the internet. I just can't find any answers.
Hi Jaimielee,
ReplyDeleteIs you plant planted in the ground or in a pot? If it isn't too large you could take it to another part of the garden and spray it really hard with the water hose. Rinse off the bugs with the hose. Repeat it as necessary. You could also try 'drowning' the aphids in soap suds from a dish washing liquid soap. Basically, give them a bubble bath with the bubbles. The liquid soap suds basically suffocate them.
No, worries about asking the question here too. I like to help when I can.
Great blog! I've learned a few new tricks about poppies that's for sure. Awesome reference material for me.
ReplyDeletethanks & cheers!