Aphids & Their Predators

I'm learning more and more how to work with nature instead of fighting it. I firmly believe this is the key to growing our own food successfully. In the past year I had an amazing experience with aphids and aphid predators that completely changes the way I manage aphids in the garden.

Maybe you've had the experience of buying ladybugs and they didn't stick around long enough to finish the job as you hoped. In this video I share how to attract ladybugs and keep them in your garden. 

Interesting video. I've never tried purchasing ladybugs, but we always have a lot of them around. I have a large Monarch Waystation not far from my vegetable gardens, and the native milkweed in that waystation are always full of oleander aphids which the lady bugs love. There are always ladybugs flying around the gardens looking for a buffet.

Over the past few years, I have also found that planting small-flowered plants, such as Sweet Alyssum, in the gardens attracts beneficial insects such as the Aphid Wasp which help to control pests.  I was introduced to the aphid wasp a few years ago by a friend that runs a greenhouse operation and uses them within the greenhouses. I got some eggs from him to place in my gardens and have seen evidence of their work ever since. It is always nice to look at a plant and aphid mummies that have been parasitized by the aphid wasps.

OhioGardener wrote:Interesting video. I've never tried purchasing ladybugs, but we always have a lot of them around. I have a large Monarch Waystation not far from my vegetable gardens, and the native milkweed in that waystation are always full of oleander aphids which the lady bugs love. There are always ladybugs flying around the gardens looking for a buffet.

Over the past few years, I have also found that planting small-flowered plants, such as Sweet Alyssum, in the gardens attracts beneficial insects such as the Aphid Wasp which help to control pests.  I was introduced to the aphid wasp a few years ago by a friend that runs a greenhouse operation and uses them within the greenhouses. I got some eggs from him to place in my gardens and have seen evidence of their work ever since. It is always nice to look at a plant and aphid mummies that have been parasitized by the aphid wasps.

That's so nice that you have plenty of ladybugs in your garden! And I also love finding those mummied aphids. I almost mentioned that in the video.

I'm like SR. My whole garden is a sacrificial plant! 2021 I saw the greatest number of ladybugs ever. But, they were not enough to save the beans.

David, can you list some sacrificial plant names here? Besides pole beans.

sanderson wrote:I'm like SR.  My whole garden is a sacrificial plant! 2021 I saw the greatest number of ladybugs ever.  But, they were not enough to save the beans.

David, can you list some sacrificial plant names here?  Besides pole beans.

Happy New Year Sanderson!

It could be anything that aphids like to eat. Preferably a perennial. Mine are the Solanum torvum. I have a number of volunteers growing around the garden. These are what I use as rootstock for grafting eggplant.

Happy New Year, Dstack!

Scorpio Rising wrote:My entire yard and garden is a sacrificial plant!  Good video, dstack!

Happy New Year Scorpio Rising! Thanks! Yeah, once the predators know they can find food in your garden, you certainly don't need to specify one sacrificial plant.