So i have been collecting quite a few lady bugs and putting them in my 4 x 8 grow tent hoping they will keep the mites in check.
i have just been finding them out side for the last two weeks and putting them in
there must like an small army in there now, yet i dont see them on the tops of the plant where the webs of the mites are when the lights are on, they have gone rouge and doing f all to stop mites
so do i need to like buy two or three hundred for them to work seems like they are doing nothing?
It might be the lighting indoors. It confuses them. Especially HPS. Do you use full spectrum lighting? Also, they need water and secondary food sources.
I’ve read it takes ~300 ladybugs to clear a single rosebush, so don’t believe a handful are going to make a significant difference. It takes a lot. Contrary to popular belief, the ones you buy online or from the garden center are not usually “farm raised”. Instead lots of suppliers get these bugs from naturally occurring clusters in the wild that happen in higher altitude when seasons change. Think masses of millions of bugs. The populations tend to be older, past mating prime, and as much as 20% are infected with a parasitic wasp. They usually fly away within 24-hours of being freed outdoors and inside, the artificial light confuses and disorients them, causing most to cluster and become inactive. One must keep water and a secondary food source available for them as well. I do love seeing them go to work though. If you can keep them healthy, they eat like crazy, especially the little ladybug nymphs. It takes 2-4 weeks after release for them to exit mating diapause, so don’t expect hungry nymphs anytime soon though.
yeah thanks for the reply LT, they under hps 600w lights,
so a bowl of water and food…what food, cant they eat the mites?
So basically i threw a hand full of my zkittles cross seeds out side a few months back and most of the taller pheno plants are getting mulched for compost, as im doing that im finding small colonies of ladybugs in the pre flowers the adults and quite a few babies
ive probably put in 40 or 50 total so thats not enough shit
thought id done enough
Rehydrate raisins in a jar lid… very little pooling water… very little, till ya need to add a bit more.
The ones you put in are probably looking to nest, commercial ladybugs usually come with a nesting material in the bag. Search out lady bug house and you’ll find some options.
In all actuality, your probably too late to make an impact.
raisns, in a jar ok, they almost done just wanted a week or two more would have been good and a bit of a flush. i just been pinching the webs off around the buds, any other tips to get a week more
i suppose the only option is to just do a reset soon bitch ass mofo’s
I’ve released 3000 into a 5x5 and 4x4 about 2 weeks ago and I found some hard webbing tonight. So I’m not sure if maybe my humidity is too low and they’re just drying out but they’re being lazy for me also.
i see im never gonna get 3000 this way i have been doing a weekly ipm routine but kinda slacked off in late flower and was hoping the bugs could get busy
well this is how they looking just as i noticed them
If you’re U.S.-based, try sierranaturalscience.com for their SN209 Product. You need to be proactive at this stage, however, if it’s as bad as you indicate, you may have to “toss 'n restart”. Don’t forget your Media may be/likely is full of Egg Larvae. If you reuse, the cycle WILL repeat itself. Good Luck in your efforts, SS/BW…mister
so i just came back,it wasnt as bad as i thought so basically i went all Jackie Chan on all the sugar leaves where i could see the webs, on about three colas and start flushing tomoro
Lady bugs are not really effective for mites. The larvae might be better for mites.
If you mix water and Coca Cola (sugar water) and spray the lady bugs with the solution, it’ll stop the flying away part. The sugar water glues their wings shut.
You should find little orange eggs eventually on the underside of the leaves. This means they are reproducing
bitch ass mofo’s
