… mating! These are my third batch of ladybugs. I bought these organic pest control tools because of a huge aphid infestation on my pepper plants. The first two batches of ladybugs that i released, it did not appear to me that using ladybugs to control the pesky aphids was working, as by the third or fourth day after releasing all the ladybugs (in the thousands), i would not see any ladybug remaining on the pepper plants.
When i bought my third batch of ladybugs at the Home Depot off Aurora Avenue, the cashier told me that to in order to make the ladybugs stay on the pepper plants, i should spray the plants with something sugary like Sprite. The idea is that if the ladybugs have consumed all the aphids on the pepper plants, they will continue to stay on the plants because of the sugary syrup on the leaves. If everything goes well, they may even mate and in no time, i should have thousands of baby ladybugs on the plants getting ready for the next round of aphid infestation.
Public enemy #1: Aphid and kids
One thing i noticed yesterday afternoon is that ladybugs are not the only natural predator of the aphids. I saw some wasps walking all over the leaves and some black flying insects that actually grabbed the aphids and took off with them! I think the main reason why the aphid infestation went out of control initially was the pepper plants were kept indoor. By keeping the plants indoor, the aphid population grew uninhibited since its predators could not get to them.
From now on, the pepper plants are staying outdoor.
Related posts
The ground covers in my backyard are blooming with purple and white flowers.
Continue reading ‘Flowering backyard ground covers’
Related posts
A few weeks ago, i started noticing a mouse (there could be more) running around in my backyard. It was a little cute mouse but i didn’t really want to share my living space with a mouse. Chances are good that there are more than one mouse. So i ordered a pair of humane mouse traps with the goal of catching it and releasing it far away from my house. The traps arrived about 1.5 weeks ago but i did not set it up until last Saturday. I really was not expecting to catch any mouse since i had not seen the mouse for a while. In the mouse trap, i placed a cracker spread with peanut butter. I have been checking the trap every day since Saturday and i was just about to give up when i noticed this little grey mouse in the trap!
Update 2007/07/03 23:20:
Released little mickey in a park a few miles from my place. That little furry ball sure can jump!
Related posts
I was wondering why the leaves of one of my Tillandsia plant were turning red. Turned out, it was just getting ready to flower.
Related posts
Saw this tiny mouse in my backyard. There may be more than one but the one i saw seems to have taken a home under the big pot of sweet bay tree.
Related posts
I introduced some ladybugs to help curb any existing/potential pests on the herbs growing in my backyard. Click on the picture below for the slideshow.
Related posts
I saw similar pictures taken by Janet’s co-worker Narisa after the snow storm taken days following Thanksgiving last year. I saw the same “ice spikes” in my backyard this afternoon. Notice the little rocks/pebbles raised by the ice spikes.
Related posts
