Predators (which may consume all or parts of aphids) include green and brown lacewings, lady beetles, hover flies, midges, bigeyed bugs, damsel bugs, soldier beetles, and blister beetles. In many cases, both adults and larvae (or nymphs) feed on aphids.
What eats the common aphid?
Some aphid predators, including predatory midges, parasitic wasps, lacewing larvae, rove beetles, hoverfly larvae and ladybirds, can be bought by mail order or some garden centres as biological controls. Biological controls are the use of natural enemies to control pests.
Which predators used for control of aphids?
aphidimyza , or Orius majusculus (Reuter), a predator of thrips and aphids and intraguild predator of both specialist natural enemies. The combined use of O. majusculus , predatory midges and parasitoids clearly enhanced the suppression of aphids and consequently decreased the number of honeydew-contaminated fruits.
How do you attract aphids to predators?
The trick is to attract them, and other aphid enemies such as syrphid flies, lacewings and tiny wasps that parasitize the aphids, before the aphids become numerous. Do this by growing some early blooming flowers with pollen and nectar they can use as alternative foods.
What is the natural enemy of aphids?
There are a number of beneficial natural enemies that attack aphids, including host-specialised parasitic wasps, as well as generalist predators such as hoverfly larvae, and adults and larvae of ladybird beetles and lacewings.
Should I kill aphids?
Severe infestations can cause distorted plant growth, no doubt, but if your garden has a healthy number of beneficial insects, aphid numbers will seldom grow large enough to cause plant damage. … Aphids are excellent for this purpose since, even with a severe infestation, they will not kill their host plant.
At what temp do aphids die?
Remember, weather can be on your side when dealing with aphids. Heat and high humidity can really knock them back as they are fairly fragile and die off in droves when temperatures are over 90°F. Soap sprays work by smothering the aphids by coating their skins.
What bugs are attracted to lavender?
Lavender has a strong scent that repels moths, flies, fleas, and mosquitoes. Use it fresh or dry some of the flowers to hang around the house or put in with your clothing to keep bugs out.
How do you attract aphids from eating bugs?
Plan Your Garden to Have 3 Things for Beneficial Insects
- Nectar provides beneficial insects with sugar. A few great sources are carrots, fennel, and Alyssum. …
- Pollen provides protein for the good guys. …
- Trap plants like nasturtiums, lupines, and shasta daisies will attract insects that the beneficials feed on.