Ladybug Mercenaries Indoors

Anyone try this for pest issues indoors? I'm aware of other methods for getting rid of pest (spidermites in my case), but I'd like to try introducing ladybugs to my garden. If anyone has tried this I'd LOVE some info, there's a lot online, just looking for the mmj grower to chime in. The problem isn't too bad, and that's why I'm not in a huge rush.

This could be a fun and cool experiment, and I'm sure it will work. I think I might order them pretty soon, and if there is any interest (for shits and giggles at least) I'll update this thread.

I plan on getting 1500 and using quite a few in my indoor garden, and then releasing most out in my veggie patches, and then keep some in a farm for future production and use.

Please don't tell me, "just use neem", I'm not an idiot, I can google "how to get rid of spidermites in flowering"... I've jsut always wanted to get LBs for my outdoor garden and now that I have a problem indoors, might as well

Lady bugs work great the only problem is keeping them in the room but if u dont mind a few around the house there great...my house gets loaded with them come summer so they dont bother me plus they eat tons

Awesome man, I definitely don't mind them roaming around the house at all, lol.

Also, I should mention that I don't just want the ones in my garden to starve once the have done the job, so I'll move those outside because they won't last in here without food to sustain them.

Buy a ladybug attractant for your garden outside also. I have seen a significant increase in the lady bug population. The problem with all bug imports getting them to stay the attractant will help.

I'll look into that, thanks for the tip!

I'm on amazon right now ordering them

im interested in results.

im of the valition, why use something made by man (lets face it, much of what WE make Kills us and our family) when Mother Nature already has the fix in the form of something natural, and usually also beneficial to humans.

Timmahh said:

im interested in results.

im of the valition, why use something made by man (lets face it, much of what WE make Kills us and our family) when Mother Nature already has the fix in the form of something natural, and usually also beneficial to humans.

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Yeah man, well said. I don't like the idea of pesticides, why wouldn't something that's harmful to insects be harmful, to some degree at least, to both the humans and dogs in this house... solution? Ladybugs!

Lady bugs can not overcome a garden with established spider mites. Spider mites lay way too many eggs in one day that hatch in 3 days. But none the less here is what you do to keep them in garden~
First set the net full of sleeping lady bugs on a wet sponge so when they wake up they will start drinking the much needed water/moisture. Then after 30 mins open the bag and has they come out spray them with a mix of soda pop and water, that will glue their wings shut for a few days. When you get tired of them, find a Praying Mantis and set him loose. Thats when the real fun starts!!!!

Good idea about outside in the garden. Inside, they just seem to fly into the lights and toast themselves.

Outside seemed to work much better, knocking down the populations that would move inside. The LB's also populated and have had plenty every year after the initial release 3 years ago.

Supposed to be good luck if one lands on you. Maybe, IDK. I DO know that those suckers can and will bite the doo wop out of you.

Wet

snew said:

Buy a ladybug attractant for your garden outside also. I have seen a significant increase in the lady bug population. The problem with all bug imports getting them to stay the attractant will help.

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Got a bit more info on this? Sounds good to me.

Wet

lady bugs do not bite. if you are being bit, it is a potatoe bug, or the japenese beetle, which is nearly identical, but has a brownish color shell with black dots oppossed to the lady bugs red color and black dots. a potatoe bug is an old school name for the japanese beetle if im not mistaken.

GoldenGanja13 said:

Lady bugs can not overcome a garden with established spider mites. Spider mites lay way too many eggs in one day that hatch in 3 days. But none the less here is what you do to keep them in garden~
First set the net full of sleeping lady bugs on a wet sponge so when they wake up they will start drinking the much needed water/moisture. Then after 30 mins open the bag and has they come out spray them with a mix of soda pop and water, that will glue their wings shut for a few days. When you get tired of them, find a Praying Mantis and set him loose. Thats when the real fun starts!!!!

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YES YOU ARE GENIOUS. I had a prey mantis in my grow but i was stupid enough to spray my plants down with Azomite and i killed her I was so damn sad she was gathering up the webs and all i would watch her for 10-20 minutes just moving around then look at me Pray Mantis are very good for gardens so are lady bugs . Next time(KNOCK ON WOOD) i get mites its lady bugs first, Pray Mantis next and if they somehow live threw that PREDATOR MITES ALL THE WAY BABY

Wetdog said:

Got a bit more info on this? Sounds good to me.

Wet

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Yahoo Search Is My Best Friend lol
Lady Bug Attractant
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/ladybug-lures.html
http://www.agorganics.com/products/Lady-Bug-Attractant/11/422.html
http://www.extremelygreen.com/Product.cfm?Name=Ladybug%20Attractant
Pray Mantis
http://www.livemantis.com/prayingmantiseggs.html
http://www.everythinginsects.com/mantis-eggsb.html
http://www.gardeners.com/1500-Adult-Ladybugs/05-239RS,default,pd.html
Predator Mites JUST WATCH OUT WHEN THEY ARE DONE THEY WILL SEARCH FOR FOOD AND THESE FUCKERS DO BITE but its not likely they will come hunt you down but when in your garden be careful
http://www.benemite.com/
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/predatory-mites.html

http://www.everythinginsects.com/
Never used them But they have quite a selection of Beneficial Bugs and lots of Info

Wetdog said:

Good idea about outside in the garden. Inside, they just seem to fly into the lights and toast themselves.

Outside seemed to work much better, knocking down the populations that would move inside. The LB's also populated and have had plenty every year after the initial release 3 years ago.

Supposed to be good luck if one lands on you. Maybe, IDK. I DO know that those suckers can and will bite the doo wop out of you.

Wet

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Lol ladybugs can't bite you! I do plan on covering my fans and light (air-cooled) with some kind of screen when they are in there.

@GoldenGanja: I don't know why you say they won't overcome it, not confident in my girls or what everything I read suggests that when you start a ladybug farm, then one thing you have to worry about is sustaining the population of LBs with food, that's if you can keep them together long enough!

Common sense tells me that if I have 1500 LBs, they will overcome a small mite infestation. But I will take your comments to heart, it's going to be difficult to keep them in here, and that soda spray sounds interesting... haha...

Hotsause said:

Yahoo Search Is My Best Friend lol
Lady Bug Attractant
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/ladybug-lures.html
http://www.agorganics.com/products/Lady-Bug-Attractant/11/422.html
http://www.extremelygreen.com/Product.cfm?Name=Ladybug%20Attractant
Pray Mantis
http://www.livemantis.com/prayingmantiseggs.html
http://www.everythinginsects.com/mantis-eggsb.html
http://www.gardeners.com/1500-Adult-Ladybugs/05-239RS,default,pd.html
Predator Mites JUST WATCH OUT WHEN THEY ARE DONE THEY WILL SEARCH FOR FOOD AND THESE FUCKERS DO BITE but its not likely they will come hunt you down but when in your garden be careful
http://www.benemite.com/
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/predatory-mites.html

http://www.everythinginsects.com/
Never used them But they have quite a selection of Beneficial Bugs and lots of Info

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Awesome stuff Hotsause!

I almost got praying mantis eggs only for the "these things are fucking awesome" factor. I probably will later, they seemed cool, and easy to maintain, plus praying mantis' won't eat ladybugs!

upthearsenal said:

Awesome stuff Hotsause!

I almost got praying mantis eggs only for the "these things are fucking aweome" factor. I probably will later, they seemed cool, and easy to maintain, plus praying mantis' won't eat ladybugs!

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Really i didnt know that i figured that would eat them since they eat and clean up after spider mites. Get some Mantis it would never hurt plus this guy says most people report they have Mantis year after year from that point on. I promiss those SM will be in for a rude awakening if they come back to my garden

Hotsause said:

I promiss those SM will be in for a rude awakening if they come back to my garden

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LOL, for sure man. I'm pretty sure I want to get some PM for outdoors at least (hopefully won't need them indoors if these ladybugs do the job within the next couple weeks), Although I do have to do a lot more research.

For anyone interested in the particular batch I ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/1500-Live-LadyBugs-GOOD-Lady/dp/B000MR6WRG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302988355&sr=8-1

upthearsenal said:

plus praying mantis' won't eat ladybugs!

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Really? I guess no on told that to the praying mantis in this video because it sure ate one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfKeR6lciD0

A praying mantis is like a great white shark of insects.

I'm actually researching them at the moment, it says they will eat just about any bug in their way and that's a reason some organic gardeners choose against them, thanks for the concern though, it just took some reading. There is conflicting info out there, I found a few sources that said they won't eat beneficial insects, but it's not true, they are also known for cannibalism. Either way, I'm not getting them for my indoor garden.

edit: I just watched the video you posted, fucking hell! That was brilliant (not for the ladybug at least), mantis are really cool. I would love to have them around, just to watch them hunt...