permaculture

[lbsaltzman@aol.com]

Check out www.rinconvitova.com for wonderful lists of plants to attract 
beneficial insects and other beneficial beneficial insects, aside from 
ladybugs.  Lacewings for instance could be a good choice. 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: paul@richsoil.com
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Sat, 12 May 2007 12:20 PM
Subject: [permaculture] does squishing aphids attract aphid predators


A plum tree I recently started caring for has lost about a third of
its leaves to aphids this year.   Every time I buy ladybugs, they just
fly away - and this time was no different.  I released them at dusk
and they were all over the tree when it was dark. In the morning they
were all gone.   Maybe they ate some aphids at night before they left.

I've sprayed the tree twice with alaska fish fertilizer (as a foliar).
 I think this is a quick step in helping the tree become stronger and
fight off the aphids naturally.  I've now mulched the tree and started
planting things that might help the tree in the long run.

As I squished some of the aphids I was thinking that maybe the smell
of the squished aphids would attract aphid predators.  Would this be
just wishful thinking on my part?  Has anybody ever heard of anything
that might support this idea?
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