We introduced two batches of 300 ladybugs a couple weeks ago, and now we have a thriving ladybug lifecycle.
The larvae do most of the eating.
Eggs are hard to spot.
Aphids are in a hurry!
A typical life cycle involves flightless females giving live birth to female nymphs—who may also be already pregnant, an adaptation scientists call telescoping generations—without the involvement of males.
It also helps to repel the farmer ants as much as possible.
We had ants farming aphids on our small cherry tree last year. I was too late with the lady bug egg order to have it produce any fruit, but they ate the hell out of the aphids and saved the tree.
Any advice on the ants? The aphids do seem to be coming back strong every year, and I would guess ants are helping them overwinter.
Glad your tree made it!
Did the aphids invest in the honeysuckle? Or did the honeysuckle invest in the aphids? And what is the monetary equivalent value of an aphid or a honeysuckle? Is the investment going well? 🤔
Hah. :-D The aphids have sunk all their liquid assets into honeysuckle, but little do they know there's a hostile takeover by a multigenerational firm underway.
Go ladybugs! 🐞
"Gods little cows" in Russian
Ooh, congratulations! I've had a few ladybugs around my yard, but I'm mostly overrun with false chitbugs instead of aphids, and they don't seem to be making a dent. Hope your buggy community keeps thriving!
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