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pests APHIDS!

So, it has come to this.
 
What follows will undoubtedly have some of you shaking your heads in disbelief and I really couldn't blame you.
 
I would gladly take an aphid infestation off someones hands right now.
Yes, you read correctly. If someone showed up on my doorstep with a plant melting from aphids. I would gladly take it right down to my grow room.
 
To anyone who has read any of my aphid threads 2 and 3 years ago would think I tossed a head gasket or threw a rod. I just witnessed a small infestation that was growing get annihilated and I didn't even lift a finger. Way better than lady bugs and lady bug larvae, Azamax or Pyrethrum or even Guardian.
 
 
 
AvidLiving said:
After the aphids are done. What do you do with the remaining wasps?

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Well, it may sound like lunacy coming from and indoor pepper grower. But I hope not to run out of aphids. I'd like to keep these wasps around indefinitely.
 
CAPCOM said:
Well, it may sound like lunacy coming from and indoor pepper grower. But I hope not to run out of aphids. I'd like to keep these wasps around indefinitely.
Do they travel around the house or are they mostly contained? Do they need a queen and/or what do they live in?

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AvidLiving said:
Do they travel around the house or are they mostly contained? Do they need a queen and/or what do they live in?

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They are rather difficult to track considering their size. However, the room is enclosed and I dont believe they have a reason to venture too far away from the grow being their food source, water and reproduction playground are there.
 
They are far more efficient than ladybugs ever were and ladybugs do leave the grow area even in the same room. Your best bed with ladybugs is they will stay in the grow long enough to mate and lay eggs. ladybug larvae are far superior against aphids than the adults are.  They are solitary insects so no queen is involves. each wasp is sensually a female capable of asexual reproduction. At least that is what some of the info available indicates.
 
CAPCOM said:
 
They are rather difficult to track considering their size. However, the room is enclosed and I dont believe they have a reason to venture too far away from the grow being their food source, water and reproduction playground are there.
 
They are far more efficient than ladybugs ever were and ladybugs do leave the grow area even in the same room. Your best bed with ladybugs is they will stay in the grow long enough to mate and lay eggs. ladybug larvae are far superior against aphids than the adults are.  They are solitary insects so no queen is involves. each wasp is sensually a female capable of asexual reproduction. At least that is what some of the info available indicates.
I think that is pretty awesome. It might be a go to at some point.

You rock man.



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Well, it may sound like lunacy coming from and indoor pepper grower. But I hope not to run out of aphids. I'd like to keep these wasps around indefinitely.

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CAPCOM said:
Well, it may sound like lunacy coming from and indoor pepper grower. But I hope not to run out of aphids. I'd like to keep these wasps around indefinitely.
yellow trap .. might be helpful
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A new and intriguing development in the grow room. I have been keeping a keen eye out for the dispersion of wasps on other plants as it is highly probable that aphids came in on other plants. I have not seen any and was concerned that they died out after imprgnating all the aphids. I am totally wrong in that assumption. Still on the wasabi plant, Because it appears the wasps are getting the aphids and allowing them to reproduce and only imprgnating the mature wandering aphids. This would prolong the wasps lineage beyond their life expectancies.
 
I actually watched as they attacked a few rogue aphids this evening. I am thinking about creating a separate aphid population free of wasps to get a second wasp population growing. I know right? sounds insane for a chili cultivar to be propagating an aphid population indoors before planting next years crop.
 
I planted and began the germination of next years chili crop the other night. And tonight I began breeding aphids or at least supplying a untreated food source to start an aphid colony on. I am still trying to get myself around the idea that I now have gone not only 180 on my view on aphids but also entered the realm of the twilight zone in that approach.
I guess that as long as I can keep the wasps going all is well and with enough GUARDIAN on hand to simulate my finger on the launch button to a nuke all is good.
 
CAPCOM said:
I actually watched as they attacked a few rogue aphids this evening. I am thinking about creating a separate aphid population free of wasps to get a second wasp population growing. I know right? sounds insane for a chili cultivar to be propagating an aphid population indoors before planting next years crop.
 
 
You could set up an Aphid Room, just crawling with the buggers.  Rotate a healthy container plant in, let the buggers chow down for a while, then return the plant to your grow area, chumming the sharks wasps with the fresh meat. 
 
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