Whether you are a veteran gardener or this is your first tomato season, grow veggies or other plants, grow indoors or outdoors, why would you ever want to use poisons/pesticides on your plants? Some good reasons to buy ladybugs are, but not limited to: allergies, children, pets, not wanting poisons on your veggies or on the plants in your home/garden.
As I said in my profile, I like to make choices which are good for our planet. It makes me feel good about myself. Since the majority of my gardening is veggies in planters, burlap bags and in pots, and many of them are indoors, I am perhaps more aware of not using pesticides/poisons.
The best solution I have found are believe it or not, is to buy ladybugs. I first tried ladybugs about 30 years ago, when my rose garden was being eaten alive by aphids. My roses were planted in a courtyard outside windows and doors to bedrooms, our living room and our kitchen. After trying liquid sprays and powders which coincided with foul odors and headaches I came across an ad in the Mother Earth News about buying Ladybugs and decided to try some. Needless to say I became a convert and have been using Ladybugs for pest control ever since.
If you have never used them, or just haven't used them in awhile, try them, they are effective, cute, educational for kids, safe for kids, pets, and won't poison your veggies.
By
ReplyDeleteMichele C. "MC" (Maryland, USA)
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This review is from: Orcon LB-C1500 Live Ladybugs, Approximately 1,500 Count (Lawn & Patio)
Used them to get rid of the aphids on my aerogarden plants in the house. If you release them when the room is dark and the door is shut they make their home on the plants. When it gets light out and you open the doors the next morning they've already settled in on the plants so they don't fly around the house. They got rid of tons of aphids within a few days. Something that I tried to do safely for 2 months with no success.
Update - I had another aphid infestation this year (Mar 2011) on the tomato, parsley and pepper plants I started in our sun room. I again ordered the lady bugs and they did the trick. They arrived healthy and well-packed. When you are using them indoors, release them at night when they are less likely to fly around. I kept the door to the sunroom shut that night and the next day and it gave them enough time to make their homes in the plants. The doors are open now and I've only had a couple of lady bugs go exploring in the rest of the house. They are getting rid of all of the aphids on the plants. All of my plans are looking much healthier already.