Aphid Control - Ladybird

The most common species of aphids are black and green aphids, also known as blackfly and greenfly. They are usually around 4mm in length with a bulbous abdomen. Some may have wings and others are wingless. 

If you see aphids with wings in spring or summer, it may be because the environment has become too crowded for them. Aphids produce offspring with wings when this happens, so they can fly off and look for a new location to feed.

Aphids have a stylus – a syringe like needle used to pierce and suck sap from the plant. They also have two tubes on their back to excrete honeydew. 

Identifying Aphid Damage

You may only notice aphids once they have become a problem. This is because they reproduce extremely quickly - a single female aphid will produce up to 80 new aphids, so they can rapidly overwhelm a plant.

Aphids damage the plant by sucking sap from it. This can lead to leaf curl, discoloration, yellowing, and stunted growth. Aphids excrete a sugary liquid known as honeydew. This honeydew can make leaves sticky; you may notice leaves that look glossier than normal as a result of patches of honeydew.

This honeydew can attract black sooty mold. This mold is not a parasite, but it can stress the plant by blocking out light and preventing its ability to photosynthesise. This can stunt the plant’s growth and lead to leaf shed.

Ants ‘milk’ aphids for their honeydew, so if you notice ants running up and down the trunks, branches and stems of your plants, you may well have aphids somewhere on that plant.

What is Biological Aphid Control

Biological controls are non-chemical treatments that rely on the natural enemies of pests. In the case of aphid control, the enemy is the ladybird larvae or lacewing larvae. Ladybird larvae tend to give longer-lasting control as the adult ladybirds will continue to eat the aphids.

Ladybird larvae will target both greenfly and blackfly and are suitable for organic production. The larvae of ladybirds feed on the aphids, consuming up to 100 aphids each a day. Ladybird larvae will not move too far from where they are deployed which makes applying them highly effective.

How Many Ladybird Larvae Do I Need

We sell aphid control ladybird larvae in packs that cover the following areas:

• 25m²

When to Apply Aphid Control

Ladybird larvae can be deployed when the temperature is above 10°C. Larvae should be used between March and September for indoor use, and May to September for outdoor use.

How to Apply Biological Aphid Control

The larvae will arrive in a sachet. Simply deploy them on the affected plant by cutting open the sachet and gently brushing them out directly onto the plants where you see adult aphids present.

Ladybird larvae should be applied at a rate of 10-20 per square metre. This equates to around 5 larvae per medium sized plant.

Do not use sticky traps or any pesticides near the larvae.

Can I Store Ladybird Larvae?

Ladybird larvae should be used straight away and are not suitable for storing.