misc My 2010 plants, Aphids & a Ladybug to the rescue...but a question as well

[PrairieChilihead]

Hello All,

I have 25 plants growing in my basement waiting for the all clear signal to move out into the garden. Here's a couple pictures of them:

and

Here's how they stack up...I have 5 Seven Pods, 4 Naga Morich, 4 Red Scotch Bonnets, 3 Bhut Jolokias, 2 Trinidad Scorpions, 2 Fatalii, 2 Orange Habaneros, 1 Cveta Hot, 1 Cayenne and 1 Pequin. After germination I immediately moved them to 10" pots and 3 or so months later they're fairly robust with some of them starting to flower.

I also have, and have been fighting with, armies of aphids all Winter. I have decimated them but they keep coming back. I've been spraying them on an almost daily basis with Dr. Brunner's Peppermint Soap, which is mild enough not to hurt the plants but at least has been killing on contact. But, here's an image of the little blighters on a Bhut plant taken this morning:

So, about 2 weeks ago I found a ladybug outside and brought her in. I've been moving her from plant to plant but about a week ago I lost track of her. I found her this morning, under a leaf, sitting on a cluster of eggs:

So. My question is this...would you allow the little alligator like larvae to mature? Keeping in mind that the plants are in their individual pots, I mean. What will happen? Will I wind up with hundreds of them all over the basement? Will they stay on that one plant until the plant is killed? Or will they be all well behaved and take care of my aphid problem for me, moving from plant to plant like a well oiled machine? I am very conflicted about this.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

[POTAWIE]

Let the larvae grow, they eat more aphids than the adults and they shouldn't get to populated. They won't bother your house, the worse they do is walk all over your windows.

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Let the larvae grow, they eat more aphids than the adults and they shouldn't get to populated. They won't bother your house, the worse they do is walk all over your windows.

Hi Potawie,

Will they crawl out of one pot and up into the next? Or will I have to pick them and move them around? How mobile are they? I'm thinking they can't fly from plant to plant, but will they be able to sense where the aphids are and make a bee-line to go where they are most needed? I am mostly worried that they'll be all over the basement and the mrs will kill me.

Thanks for your response.

 

[POTAWIE]

I wouldn't worry about the basement, if they aren't on your plants they will likely be on your windows trying to get outside especially the sunny windows.
The larvae will crawl from plant to plant but I like to help them travel by keeping plants close together with leaves touching. The ladybugs and larvae can then travel easier across the foliage

 

[PrairieChilihead]

I wouldn't worry about the basement, if they aren't on your plants they will likely be on your windows trying to get outside especially the sunny windows.
The larvae will crawl from plant to plant but I like to help them travel by keeping plants close together with leaves touching. The ladybugs and larvae can then travel easier across the foliage

Well, they'll have a long, long, long journey trying to find a window. I have only one window, which is on the other side of the basement. As well, these plants just aren't big enough for any of the leaves to be touching. If they were all out in the garden I'd just be happy with the whole situation. Being downstairs, on a table, with each plant in its own pot, I'm not sure how they'll get from plant to plant. I am inclined to take your advice and not disturb them...I'm just trying to imagine what will happen when they hatch.

Thanks again. Hope you're having a great Spring Potawie!

 

[Silver_Surfer]

Get some straws, pencils, or ice cream sticks and make a bridge for them between pots to make it easy on them until they become adults and can fly.

 

[jolokia_jas]

If possible get all the rims of you're pots touching that way they at least have a shot at getting from plant to plant.

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Get some straws, pencils, or ice cream sticks and make a bridge for them between pots to make it easy on them until they become adults and can fly.

If possible get all the rims of you're pots touching that way they at least have a shot at getting from plant to plant.

Those are great suggestions. I will make sure that all the pots touch each other and look for sticks at the dollar store and set up a system of bridges. I wonder how much times I have before the eggs hatch. Anyone know?

 

[Silver_Surfer]

Those are great suggestions. I will make sure that all the pots touch each other and look for sticks at the dollar store and set up a system of bridges. I wonder how much times I have before the eggs hatch. Anyone know?

The eggs will hatch in 3 to 4 days and will reach adulthood in 3 to 4 weeks. You'll have plenty of aphid munchers soon.

 

[Blister]

Lucky guy. I wish I had a few ladybugs and their larvae crawling around my plants. I'm so tired of the endless battle with the aphids. I would't be concerned about them maturing in the basement. I really wouldn't. A few ladybugs is a small price to pay for how effective they are in controlling other pests.

 

[Sci]

Ladybugs are good for those little pest but here is my only problem with them i have caught them eating into some of my chilli plants i still leave them there as they only much into a few now and then

 

[Matt Berry]

definitely leave them, they are your biggest ally in the war against aphids. They are really mobile and will relentlessly search out aphids for food. The biggest thing to remember is be careful about spraying them as you don't want to kill them too.

 

[Silver_Surfer]

Ladybugs are good for those little pest but here is my only problem with them i have caught them eating into some of my chilli plants i still leave them there as they only much into a few now and then

There are thousands of types of lady bugs and not all are beneficial.

 

[patrick]

You should probably stop spraying any type of bug killer while the ladybugs are around. They're better than the sprays anyway. If it were me I would do everything I could to insure the ladybugs thrive, even in the house.

If you're spraying as much as you say and the aphids are that thick on that bhut you have serious aphid trouble.

The two times I've tried to over winter a couple of plants I never did beat the aphids totally until I set the plant outside in freezing temps.

Good luck PC hope the ladybugs work for you.

 

[LGHT]

A couple of problems here. If you STOP spraying your aphid population will grow out of control in a matter of days even with 1 lady bug and the larvae. If you spray you kill the 1 and only ladybug that's working toward controlling the aphid population. I had the same problem with an inside grow last year and after spraying for 6 weeks I was only able to contain them never completely kill them. Since you figured out that 1 ladybug will help imagine a few hundred!! I went out to the local nursery and purchased a bag of living ladybugs for about $6.00 The count had to be at least 100-200 in all. Following the directions I put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours first and just before releasing into my closet with the plants. While they where cooling off I sprayed the plants with a light sugar water mixture and released them at night when the lights where off and shut the doors on them. A few of them did get out and ended up on the window seals, but majority of them made the plants with a good food source their new home. Within a few days they ate every aphid in site and even when I left the closet doors open they would not fly out. Some of them died, but it was a quick clean up with a handy vac. Even after I moved them to the outside I could still find 10+ bugs / larvae on every plant and never had a problem with them again.

 

[jjs7741]

Ladybugs are the best aphid control I have found. I have been fighting them for the last 6 weeks. Tried the safer soap, neem, even sevin, they just kept coming back. Finally saw some ladybugs a couple days ago on my plants and they have literally cleaned off half of my plants that are outside. Some of the plants that are now clean looked like yours. I would protect them at all costs. Especially if you still have a while before they go outside.

jacob