I’m very pleased to report that this week I have noticed lots of Ladybird Larvae in the Orchard. I’ve been seeing Ladybirds for weeks but this is the first time this season I have seen the larvae and the pupa.
It’s reported that Ladybird larvae can eat 100-200 Aphids a day whereas the adults eat around 20-25 aphids a day. One ladybird can lay up to 1000 eggs in a season. I would say this was one of the top beneficial insects to have in your orchard. The larvae aren’t pretty like the adults (although I love them) but they are so important. They will also eat scale insects, thrips, whitefly and spidermites however…they love their Aphids!
They certainly do a better job of getting through the waxy wool of the woolly aphid than I do. With a lot less mess too!
So if you see these little critters do not be alarmed. Instead, hope you get more. Try and make a habitat that they’ll be happy with water, flowering plants such as Calendula, Marigold, Angelica and Dill, also their prey. Try not to kill anything even with an organic spray. Most sprays will kill more or less everything, it doesn’t choose the species. You’re trying to achieve a balance. The beneficials will not come in if you’ve killed their prey, they also will not leave because you’re killing their dinner…thus killing them too.
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