permaculture

[jedd <jedd@progsoc.org>]

On Sun, 13 May 2007, Don Titmus wrote:
> Well your correct the adults do eat aphids but not like the juv. so i vote
> to use the best tool for the job ...buy the juv not the adults.

 Hi Don,

 If I remember the details rightly from my biology classes at
 school, adults can actually produce juveniles.  Bodacious!

 http://www.greengardener.co.uk/aphidout.htm

 This site suggests that an adult ladybird will consume 5,000 aphids,
 which is pretty impressive.  Lacewings are also cited as being handy
 against aphids.

 Mind, this site is in the business of selling lacewings and ladybirds,
 but as much as I doubt they watched a ladybird for a few days and
 made a careful count, I suspect they wouldn't lie about such things.

 Elsewhere, I see that ladybird mums tend to lay eggs where there
 are aphids present.  This ties in with my earlier thought that having
 adults in the area is probably a good thing, even if takes a year or
 two before things settle down.  Such is the nature of IPM, I guess.

 Jedd.