Mealybug Destroyer

First used as a biological control agent in the late 1800's, both the adult and larval stages of this beneficial insect attack and feed on all stages of mealybugs. The mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) is a small (1/5 inch long), redish-brown lady beetle with dark-brown wing covers. A voracious feeder, "crypts" as they are often called, will also eat aphids and soft scales making them ideal for use in greenhouses, interior plantscapes, orchards and ornamental gardens.

Adult female predators lay yellow eggs among the cottony egg sacks of mealybugs. Eggs hatch into larvae in about 5 days, depending upon temperature. The three larval stages last from 12-17 days during which time the larvae feed on eggs, young crawlers, and the sugary liquid excrement, often called honeydew produced by the pest. Pupation occurs on sheltered plant stems or on greenhouse structures. Adults emerge after 7-10 days and live approximately two months. There are usually 4 generations each year.

Looking for effective mealybug control? I suggest the mealybug destroyer. They work, and unlike many pest controls, don't harm the environment.

While this predatory beetle thrives on high mealybug populations, they are best released in early spring when the first pests are observed. The mealybug destroyer is most active at 70° Fahrenheit or higher and should be released at a rate of 0.5 per sq. ft. of planted area or 2-5 beetles per infested plant. In orchards release 1,000-2,000 adult beetles per acre of mature fruit trees. Mealybug destroyers should be shaken out close to mealybug infestations at dawn or dusk when they are least active. Repeat as necessary, usually once or twice a year.

Often after release, the mealybug problem appears to be worsening before it improves. This is because C. montrouzieri larvae are covered in a white, woolly material and are very similar in appearance to their prey.

Note: Used by the citrus industry in California, this predatory insect is credited with the complete control of the citrus mealybug.

Tip: Ants feed on the honeydew that sucking insects (aphids, mealybugs, thrips) produce and will vigorously protect these pests from their natural enemies. If possible, control ants prior to release.

Related Sites:
• Learn more about mealybugs here.
• Midwest Biological Control News - University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Cryptolaemus montrouzieri - Cornell University
• Natural Enemies Gallery - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Researchers Discover Sex Potion to Ensnare Mealybug Pests - USDA (ARS)

Does every insect have wings?

More than 320 million years ago, insects became the first creatures to take to the air. Flight helped them to escape danger and to find new habitats and has always played an important part in their survival. Most insects have two sets of wings, although some orders also have a few flightless species.  Ladybugs, along with many beetles, have two hard forewings that shield and protect the hind wings when not in flight.

7 Insects You Actually Want In Your Garden

 

1. Lady Beetles

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They eat aphids and other softbodied pest eggs, scales and whitefly nymphs.
Bait Them With: Asters, marigolds, cosmos, cilantro, yarrow, dill, cabbages, sweet alyssum, flowering kale.

2. Ground Beetles

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They will destroy slugs, snails, cutworms, flys and rootmaggot eggs and larvae.
Bait Them With: Sweet or white clover and other ground covers; also use mulch to provide habitat.

3. Hoverfly

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Maggots eat softbodied pests such as aphids.
Bait Them With: Feverfew, lavender, sweet alyssum, candytuft, dill, fennel, asters

4. Lacewings

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Their larvae prey on pest eggs, aphids, scales and small caterpillars.
Bait Them With: Most pollen and nectar flowers, dill, daisies, fennel, angelica.

5. Aphid Midges

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Immature insects feed on many species of aphids.
Bait Them With: Nectar-rich flowers and herbs, including Queen Anne’s lace, dill, mustard

6. Parasitic Wasps

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They act as parasites by laying eggs in caterpillar and aphid larvae.
Bait Them With: Dill, mint, sage, thyme, lavender, coriander, Queen Anne’s lace, sunflowers.

7. Bumblebees, Honeybees, Mason Bees

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They pollinate food crops.
Bait Them With: Orchard fruits, mustards, cress, wildflowers, clover, blueberries, hollyhock.







Source of Article:

NATURAL BORN PEST KILLERS

NATURAL BORN PEST KILLERS
Home Remedies for Natural Pest ControlBy Eric Vinje, Planet NaturalNot everybody likes cucumbers. You may be interested to learn that ants hate cucumbers, especially cucumber peels. You'll especially appreciate that fact if you want to get rid of them. Just spread some cucumber peels - the more bitter, the better - where ants enter your home and they should get the message. Consider cucumber the "anti-welcome" mat for ants.

Cucumbers are one example of natural pest control. It's using natural and generally non-toxic ingredients to repel or get rid of pests including ants, wasps, mites, moths, flies and other insects.

People are slicing up cucumbers instead of spraying Bug-Be-Gone because they don't want toxic chemicals in their homes or in their garden sheds. There is growing evidence that synthetic pesticides pose a health risk to humans and animals.

Here at Planet Natural, we have a whole slew of natural pest controls, including Orange Guard ($8.95) which uses d-limonene, or orange peel extract, to control insect pests; Safer BioNeem ($12.95), which uses the active ingredient of neem oil - azadirachtin - to kill insects before they become biting or reproducing adults; as well as a variety of traps including the Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap ($4.95) and Apple Maggot Trap ($15.95).

For those willing to invest some time and effort at crafting their own remedies, we've gone on to list a variety of remedies to help you battle pests on the home front and in your garden.

Barriers act like barbed wire to keep crawling pests, such as ants, out. These include garlic - grind it up with water and apply - cayenne pepper, cinnamon, powdered charcoal, bone meal, talcum powder or chalk. Keep in mind that different pests have different aversions, so you'll have to see what substance works best with the ones trying to sneak into your home.

Another way to think of barriers is to grow certain plants around the periphery of your home. They not only look nice, but will also deter pests. Plants known to repel ants and aphids include: spearmint, peppermint and pennyroyal.

You can use the same trick for fly control. Just substitute the above plants with mint and basil which repel flies, but smell good to humans.

Boiling water is excellent for ant control or if you see where they are creeping into your house, squeeze some lemon into the hole or crack.

Barriers also work for snails. They dislike sand, lime, copper or ashes, so use these borders to keep snails away.

Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts is a good roach killer. Just spread around the area where you see roaches and soon you won't see them anymore. (Boric Acid, while slightly more toxic, is naturally occurring and is another way to get rid of them.)

Here's a really sneaky way to get rid of fire ants. (All's fair in love and the war against insect pests.) The only way to get rid of an infestation is to assassinate the queen. Wait until a dry spell is about to end. Sprinkle instant grits on the fire ant hill. The workers will carry the grits to the queen for her royal meal. She'll eat the grits and when it rains, she'll drink. And that's what will kill her. The grits will expand in her stomach and she'll "bloat" to death. Once she's out of the way, the leaderless ants will die off. (This suggestion came courtesy of the Tightwad Gazette II book.)

Cloves smell better than moth balls and are a natural deterrent against winged pests. You can also create a water trap by filling a small basin with water and leaving a night light suspended over it. Moths will be attracted to the light and will end up crashing and burning and falling into the water. Add a little dish soap to break the surface tension of the water.

Corn Gluten Meal may not sound very appetizing, but it's a natural, preemptive strike against weeds. Apply it early in the spring before weeds sprout. Corn gluten meal is a byproduct of the corn milling process and is a natural fertilizer.

Diatomaceous earth is made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms, single-cell organisms. The glass-like nature of diatomaceous earth makes it one of the oldest forms of insecticide. The sharp surfaces cut through the insect cuticle and the insect dies of dehydration. Diatomaceous earth kills earwigs, ants and box elder bugs. Since it's non-discriminate when it kills, be sure to only apply it just to the ground surface where you think insects are overstaying their welcome.

Grind rosemary leaves into a fine dust and sprinkle it onto your pet or its bedding to ward off fleas.

Ivory liquid dishwashing detergent can act as a natural insecticide. Dilute with water until it is a 1 or 2 percent solution and then spray on plants.

Need neem oil? Neem oil - made from guess what? - neem seeds, prevents fungus growth, and repels and kills insects, including mites. While it fights many scourges, it's nontoxic to birds, mammals and most beneficial insects. One word of caution - it can sometime affect bees so use it as a spot treatment to minimize contact. Neem oil is usually sold in a concentrated form, to which you add water.

Fruit flies are wine connoisseurs. Okay, maybe they are not wine snobs, but they have been known to quaff a few drops here or there. They particularly like Chardonnay or so we hear. Use that knowledge to your advantage: fill up a saucer of some cheap white wine and add a little detergent to it. Leave it around for the flies to sip and die on. This solution brings knew meaning to the expression "rot gut."

A natural fly catcher related to wine is to put something sickly sweet like mango peels in the bottom of narrow-necked wine bottles. The flies can fly in, but can't fly out.

You can even make your own fly paper. Boil water, sugar and corn syrup together. Spread the extra-sticky mixture on brown paper grocery bags and voila you have your own fly paper which will trap flies.

For mosquito control the aged old custom of burning citronella candles will help repel the pesky critters.

To get rid of slugs and snails, invert a flower pot near a shady plant. Use a stick to prop up the flower pot or place on irregular ground - whatever will give enough of an entrance way for slugs and snails. They will crawl under the rim to avoid the heat. Check the flower pot at the end of the day and remove the slugs and snails.

Vinegar is a great herbicide. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar - white is best since it won't stain, you certainly don't want to use expensive, aged Balsamic vinegar on weeds - and spray the vinegar on your unwelcome flora on your porch, patio or back yard. It's one of the few things that will work against noxious weeds such as Canadian Thistle. All vinegars are diluted, so try and buy the highest concentration you can at the supermarket.

Using organic lawn fertilizers will not only keep it green, it will make it healthy and more equipped to defend itself against weeds and pests. Organic fertilizers, such as bat guano, grass clippings, alfalfa meal, fish emulsion and worm castings, work well.

While natural pest control products are a step up from most commercial insecticides, you should still be restrained about using them. Don't just leap at something that cures the symptom - look for the underlying or root cause and seek a solution for that problem. Overuse can end up creating new problems - getting rid of one pest in exchange for another.

That said, natural pest control can be a great non-toxic solution to keeping your garden and home pest free.

Praying Mantis

The fascinating praying mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) gets its name from its motionless raised front legs, which it uses to hold its prey. A ferocious general predator, it will attack just about any insect in its path, which unfortunately includes other beneficial insects.

The praying mantis will only complete one life cycle per season. It usually takes two to three weeks of warm temperatures for the mantis egg cases to hatch. The tiny nymphs emerge through the narrow slits of the egg case and immediately disperse into the foliage. One egg case will yield approximately 50 to 200 predators. Unless you can find the small nymphs (1/8 inch), it is impossible to tell if the egg cases have actually hatched. In 5 or 6 months, they become a full sized adult (up to 6 inches) and females will deposit 1 to 5 egg cases on bushes and flower stalks. The female dies shortly after this. Egg cases are very hardy and overwinter - subzero temperatures won't harm them. They hatch out in the spring, completing the life cycle.

Use 3 egg cases for smaller areas (under 5,000 square feet) and increase the amount accordingly for larger areas. If immediate release is inconvenient, you can keep the egg cases in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they must be in a ventilated container. DO NOT FREEZE. To release, simply tie the praying mantis egg cases to twigs or branches about three feet above the ground. Birds and rodents will feed on them, so placing them in a container with holes large enough for the young nymphs to escape (1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter) will provide protection.

Note: It is not recommended to keep mantis as pets in terrariums or other small indoor enclosures. Young nymphs are very aggressive towards each other and tend to become cannibalistic - give them plenty of room.

Interesting Factoid #1: It has been discovered that the mantid uses an ultrasonic detecting ear as its main tool of defense. According to research, the ear is tuned to the same frequency that is used by bats (a significant mantis predator) for echolocation. The mantid uses its sensitive ear primarily while flying. When it hears a bats signal, it curls its abdomen up and thrusts out its forelimbs, creating an aerial stall, which sends the mantis plummeting safely to the ground. Experiments show a relationship between the volume of the bats signal and the mantis flight pattern. The louder the signal, the more erratic the pattern.

Interesting Factoid #2: Many people believe that the female mantis always bites the head off her mate, BUT it's not true. It happens more in captivity, and even then she eats her mate only 15% of the time. The male can complete fertilization without his head.
Related Sites:
• Click here for more praying mantid information.
• View a picture of a praying mantis eating a hummingbird.
• Praying Mantis Extension Fact Sheet - Ohio State University
• Natural Enemies Gallery - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Meet the Good Bugs - This Old House