Will Ladybugs and lacewings do the job for spider mites?

The local place has good prices on ladybugs and lacewings. I already dropped 1500 ladybugs and made a house for them (indoor grow).. The key to ladybugs is the babies that are hatched in about 5 days turn into larvae which look like little alligators. After 21 days the larvae become pupa which is like a caterpillar and 7 days later they are adults. The larvae are supposedly the real killers. I am a few days before larvae should be hopefully hatching. In flower now.

The local place has ladybugs, lacewings for cheap prices $5.95. 100 Longpipes for $11.50.
Phytoseiulus persimilis ‘Hot Spot’ [2000] $21.75

I know some people here have said the predator mites do not do well under HID.

I am also watering in SNS 209 and Spinosad into the soil. Capt Jacks say spinosad spraying will not hurt ladybugs but I may try spot spraying.

I doubt it better get an Atomic bomb!

Do you have mites already, or is this for prevention?

LB are great no mites since i started using them in my g/h
the adult's are no slouches on eatin mites & all or anything they can case down , i seen them chasing new fungus gnats who's wings didn't work yet

TrimothyLeary said:

Do you have mites already, or is this for prevention?

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I am in it in flower with spider mites. I had been using the usual sprays and someone said go with lady bugs which was a mistake when you are already in it.

Fastslappy said:

LB are great no mites since i started using them in my g/h
the adult's are no slouches on eatin mites & all or anything they can case down , i seen them chasing new fungus gnats who's wings didn't work yet

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A lot of just sit on the tops of the plants. I set up a shaded humidity dome for them with a wet sponge and raisins. I also mist around the pots with water so they will not dry out. I watch them and I think they might be union. I see some mating too.

The people at Capt Jack's (great customer service!) said it should be okay to spray spinosad but I know it will probably hurt them. I was going to try to herd them and spray. They have been in the room for about 4 to 5 days now.

I am thinking of spot spraying the five plants and can get another 1,00o or 2,000 ladybugs by next Tuesday and maybe 1,000 lacewings. The room is about 12 x 13. They seem to be doing better in the other room with 8 plants in flower. They seem to loiter up and down the plants in the other room. Many just hang around at the rim of the overflow tray.

Thanks for any suggestions.

What I'd probably do:
Clear out any webbing. Remove heavily damaged leaves and buds. Move branches and leaves/buds around so they aren't touching. Find some way to spray her with a decent jet of water. Do this from every angle, but pay particular attention to the undersides.

Then get her under light and with some major airflow, so she dries off as quickly as possible. You could, if you have the patience, wipe a neem or other insecticidal soap on the individual leaves, top and bottom, after.

And hope for the best.

just dropped 400 lacewing larvae in my flower tent 2x2. Hoping they will polish of the mites left over from the earlier spraying. Had not spotted any webbing and leaf damage was minimal. Been using silica to toughen them up, dont really know if that does anything.

Freddie Millergogo said:

The local place has good prices on ladybugs and lacewings. I already dropped 1500 ladybugs and made a house for them (indoor grow).. The key to ladybugs is the babies that are hatched in about 5 days turn into larvae which look like little alligators. After 21 days the larvae become pupa which is like a caterpillar and 7 days later they are adults. The larvae are supposedly the real killers. I am a few days before larvae should be hopefully hatching. In flower now.

The local place has ladybugs, lacewings for cheap prices $5.95. 100 Longpipes for $11.50.
Phytoseiulus persimilis ‘Hot Spot’ [2000] $21.75

I know some people here have said the predator mites do not do well under HID.

I am also watering in SNS 209 and Spinosad into the soil. Capt Jacks say spinosad spraying will not hurt ladybugs but I may try spot spraying.

Click to expand...

if you are infested bad with them the good bugs won't help because there are to many mites, one good bug eats only so many and the mites reproduce fast. captain jacks azamx or dr zymes to get them under control then the bugs can work.