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Do Ladybugs Eat Whiteflies – Use Ladybugs As Natural Insecticides

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Ladybugs, the little round red color bug with black spots: who can’t identify them? They can be found in gardens everywhere, and we all know them from our childhood days. They go by different names like ladybird or lady beetle.

If you are interested in gardening, you must know that this little insect is beneficial for gardens for various reasons.

If we dig deeper into what makes this creature so desirable for the garden, then maybe its beneficial effects might surprise us. So, let’s see “Do Ladybugs Eat Whiteflies” and know what else it can do.

Ladybugs Control Aphids Organically

Ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens) are quite popular across North America as they help control aphids–a type of plant lice whose numbers have grown due to increasing urbanization rates.

Moreover, they prey on many other garden pests. You will want them around for your garden’s safety or simply because they make things more beautiful.

Ladybugs are not only beneficial for catching pests, but they also help pollinate flowers and eat freeloading bug larvae. They are the perfect solution for pest control in your garden. Their larvae feed on pests that would otherwise destroy crops without touching or harming plants.

A Cheap Insecticide – Ladybug

Among the insects that ladybugs feast upon are aphids, mealybugs, tiny spider mites, scale bugs of all kinds, thrips, aphid lions, whiteflies, as well as larvae.

Two species of ladybugs, Harmonia axyridis and Hippodamia convergens, specifically prey on aphids, and they are used in place of any other insecticide to control this pesky pest.

Did you know a single ladybug preys up to 5 thousand times its weight in food?

That’s because these little predators are born with nowhere else to eat – so every time one feeds, it makes sure there won’t be any more pests for miles around (or at least until next year). For this reason, they’re an essential part of the ecosystem.

The humble ladybug is a great option for battling warring patio/nursery bugs and is less expensive than compound pesticides. They are environmentally friendly and won’t hurt individuals or plants.

These insects are likewise a self-reestablishing type of bug control in your garden. You can either buy them from nurseries or attract them naturally.

>>Read More about Get rid of aphids: How to Get Rid Of Tiny Yellow Bugs (Aphids) In 3 Easy Ways

1. Buy Commercial Ladybugs Stored In Nurseries

Lady beetles are convergent ladybirds. They’re found in large overwintering aggregations, so suppliers go out and collect them from these habitats. Later, they store and sell them at nurseries, where people buy them for their garden pest control.

Using this method is unreliable because packaging, and storing ladybugs can stress or injure them, thereby suppressing their natural abilities. Lady beetles require special care and attention, so they should always be refrigerated until released into your garden or landscape design project.

Live lady beetle displays in stores draw customers’ curiosity. But left out at room temperature, these nutritious bugs quickly degenerate, which discredits them as an effective natural pesticide solution.

Stores and gardeners are advised to mist lady beetles with water before storing them in the refrigerator. Inspecting what’s available at stores is important too – most importantly, inspect whether all ladybugs inside a container are alive while buying. Also, examine how old these particular individuals appear.

2. Attract Ladybugs Naturally By Growing Vector And Pollen Plants

To get ladybugs in your garden, you can attract them naturally with a more economical solution that’s easy on the wallet and good for Mother Nature. Plant vegetation that will give ladybugs their favorite food and shelter so that you can attract them to your garden.

Ladybugs or lady beetles love vector and pollen plants. They also like grains, so a whey mixture with yeast will make them come to your garden for some afternoon snacks.

“Wheast” (a type of organic fertilizers) in spray form on crops can even attract ladybugs naturally- without any harmful chemicals or pesticides needed at all.


Do Ladybugs Eat Whiteflies? – Perfect Solution For Whiteflies Problem

Whiteflies are tiny insects that love the Ficus tree. They can cause damage to hedges and trees, making them a threat to all our favorite plants.

What’s the number one way to keep whiteflies at bay? Ladybugs! They’re a secret weapon in your battle. The Ficus-loving whiteflies are a nutritious meal for ladybugs.

A single ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in just two years. Moreover, these garden-friendly insects cause no harm to plants. Unlike harsh insecticide sprays, they never kill other garden beneficial insects or don’t pollute the atmosphere.

Other insects to control whiteflies are:

Encarsia Formosa: A wasp and a well-known parasite widely used as a biological control agent.

Lacewing: It is one of the unique insects with beautiful green net wings. The lacewing larvae lunch on soft-bodied bugs with ravenous hunger. They lay their eggs next to an infestation that needs cleaning up and ensure plenty for themselves in return.

Essential Tips For Ladybugs Release To Eat Whiteflies

Here are the things you must consider if you are choosing ladybugs to control garden whitefly.

  • The best time to release ladybugs for controlling whitefly in your garden is in dusk or early evening.
  • Approximately 2,000 lady beetles are enough for a small garden, while around 18,000 ladybugs would suffice for a large garden.
  • Remember, don’t release them on plants already sprayed with insecticides.
  • Another important thing to note is no matter how much care you are taking; ladybugs will fly away within a few days (48 hours on average).

Conclusion

Ladybugs are environmentally friendly and will keep your garden neat without the use of pesticides. They can be challenging to deal with, but you won’t need chemicals anymore once they take over an area. If you’re still wondering, “Do Ladybugs Eat Whiteflies,” here’s is a compact answer.

  • Ladybugs eat whiteflies and help you get rid of this garden pest.
  • Ladybugs also prey on many other harmful insects and pesky aphids that wreak havoc on your garden.

We hope this article helped you find out how to make your garden free of pests using ladybugs. Feel free to as any questions, and please don’t forget to comment on what we could do better!