Beneficial Insects in Action - Ladybugs and Parasitic Wasps

One of a gardeners biggest headaches is dealing with aphids. They multiple rapidly, and are hard to get to by spraying since they are generally under the bottom of the leaves. Rather than spraying, sometimes it helps to use natural methods, beneficial insects. Ladybugs are well known for eating aphids and other soft-bodied pests. I released a few thousand into my greenhouses earlier this year. The ladybugs really enjoyed themselves, but they didn't stay around very long.

During my studies of beneficial insects, I ran across a parasitic wasp called Aphidius. It hunts down aphids and injects an egg inside them which eventually feeds on the aphid and hatches out another wasp. I noticed some of these in my greenhouses and tried very hard to avoid any spraying. The wasp populations began to grow. And even though I still have a few aphids to deal with, I can see that I have plenty of help. The tiny wasps are not easy to see, but by looking for the cocoons, I can see that they are still hard at work.

[mhpgardener]

Thank you. I had a hard time filming the wasps because they were under the cucumber leaves. I was sitting on the ground, trying to hold the camera still and yet be able to get close enough to the wasp to focus. I'm glad nobody walked in. They'd have thought I was crazy. :)

[fouroakfarm]

I have seen the brown things next to aphids on my plants and had no idea those were cocoons for the wasp!! Thanks for educating me, very interesting

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. I had a hard time filming the wasps because they were under the cucumber leaves. I was sitting on the ground, holding the camera, trying to be still and yet get close enough for the camera to focus. I'm glad nobody walked in or they'd have thought I was crazy. :)

[gisellegarcia]

“It was like opening up a charity country buffet” 😂

[PeteCorp]

I've always heard and seen them but this is the first time seeing them sting. Great video. Remember to tell people to lay our trays of water with small stones in it. The wasps need water and can't drink from large water sources, so they flying on the small stones lets them drink much easier.

[mhpgardener]

Thank you sir. Questions, questions ! Yes, aphids will flourish in a greenhouse year round. Yes, the wasps are still active, although the numbers are much lower. Less food = less wasps. Yes, you can buy wasps online, in the form of a cocoon I think. The raised bed plants seemed immune to whiteflies. I haven't figured out why. But I plan to keep using the same soil amendments to see if it continues next year.

[mhpgardener]

I use Neem for aphids and whiteflies. Supposedly, it doesn't bother the good bugs unless you spray them directly. So you need to spray first thing in the morning before the insects are moving around.

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. When you see the little brown cocoons, look closely and see if they have a tiny hole in them. If so, the wasp as already emerged and the cocoon will be hollow.

[mhpgardener]

I've read the deal about spraying them, but I had no idea they would leave so fast. I'll remember to do it next time, if the pests get out of hand. Right now, I have a very nice colony of Aphidius. Those little guys are everywhere, and doing a great job. Happy New Year !

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. You're right, those big leaves are easier to manage. When they get on leafy greens, they are just nasty. Since we eat the leafy part, I don't care much for spraying the greens. I was glad to find these guys.

[mhpgardener]

The homemade soap spray is very common. Works pretty good on aphids and whiteflies, but you have to stay at it. Give them some slack and they take over again.

[Taleulah]

Merry Christmas to you and yours Bobby. God bless. I can't imagine the time you spent catching these little creatures at their work. Thank you for always being such a fantastic gardener who shares and works just as hard at sharing as you do at gardening.

[mhpgardener]

The ones you see on the hornworm are different. But they work the same way. When you see a worm with the white cocoons on his back...he's not long for this world. Thank you.

[mhpgardener]

I thought it was kinda neat too. Those little wasps are very helpful.

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. The little wasps are fun to observe.

[Joebanker]

Good to know... I've got a small set up in my basement under homemade grow lights.. Last year I had tons of aphids. This year I've got several lady bugs crawling around doing their thing.. No aphids. The lady bugs just started showing up one day. Glad I watched your video.. They're free to show up as long as they want.

[wikked]

I remember seeing these little wasps back home! I let them do their thing cause ive heard of them before. Sure enough, my aphid problem died down a lot.

[CaliKim]

I've been thinking about getting some ladybugs to help with my aphid problem. Very informative. I love the close ups of the ladybugs and parasitic wasps eating/stinging the aphids! Awesome to see them in action. CaliKim

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. I filmed this back in the spring, before I bought a decent tripod. Trying to hold the camera steady and keep it focused was not easy. Fortunately I was able to slow some of the shots down, so they were more stable. And I figured out last night how to edit an audio file. I've said it before.... I'm a work in progress. :)

[mhpgardener]

Thanks. Yes, there are some plants that will attract the insects, much like attracting bees for help with pollination. Lots of flowers and herbs, things like Nasturtians, Borage, and Dill are great for attracting beneficials. Someone mentioned down below that carrots were good also, just let them flower and go to seed. And then of course, you have to try hard to avoid spraying anything that would kill them. It's a real balancing act for sure.