Ladybugs - How long before they lay eggs?

[SolMJ]

Hello 420,

I have about 20 ladybugs in my grow room since about two weeks ago. They seem content & I've seen them mating. I'm currently having problems with spider mites & I know the larva are insatiable eaters. My question is how long does it take roughly before they start laying eggs after mating?

 

[iwltfum]

It takes about 3-6 weeks from the eggs being laid to full grown lady beetles If eggs are laid, it should take about a week for them to hatch. They will hatch directly into their larval stage and remain larvae for 2-4 weeks. About a week in the pupa stage after that, then they turn into full grown lady beetles and can live for several months. The trick is getting them to lay their eggs (the female can wait up to 2 months after mating to lay eggs if she doesn't find a steady food source for the larvae), but with a spider mite problem, you shouldn't have any trouble getting them to lay.

 

[SolMJ]

It takes about 3-6 weeks from the eggs being laid to full grown lady beetles If eggs are laid, it should take about a week for them to hatch. They will hatch directly into their larval stage and remain larvae for 2-4 weeks. About a week in the pupa stage after that, then they turn into full grown lady beetles and can live for several months. The trick is getting them to lay their eggs (the female can wait up to 2 months after mating to lay eggs if she doesn't find a steady food source for the larvae), but with a spider mite problem, you shouldn't have any trouble getting them to lay.

Thanks buddy, in that case I'll just wait & see...will keep spraying to a minimum so I don't disturb the ladybugs too much. Looking forward to those eggs, I will need reinforcements soon lol!

 

[iwltfum]

Thanks buddy, in that case I'll just wait & see...will keep spraying to a minimum so I don't disturb the ladybugs too much. Looking forward to those eggs, I will need reinforcements soon lol!

What are you spraying? You're fine spraying water, but if it's a non-selective pesticide (like neem oil or pyrethrum), then it will kill the lady bug larvae faster than it will kill the spider mites.

 

[SolMJ]

What are you spraying? You're fine spraying water, but if it's a non-selective pesticide (like neem oil or pyrethrum), then it will kill the lady bug larvae faster than it will kill the spider mites.

The following is the homemade spray;

- 1ltr tap water
- 20ml h2o2
- 2ml strong glass cleaner (it has alcohol)
- 2ml white vinegar (also lowers pH)

Whether it's doing much damage to the mites I'm not sure, might add some chilies to the mix soon. However I just watered the plants & noticed 4 dead ladybugs. I don't know if that's the spray, maybe they don't like h2o2 but I'm pretty sure they won't like the glass cleaner (alcohol) but is 0.2% enough to kill them. Will check them again tomorrow & perhaps will stop with the alcohol & just use h202 & chilies or something until hopefully they lay eggs.

 

[Mcjoint]

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy 1000lady bugs for like 8$ off of Amazon?

 

[SolMJ]

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy 1000lady bugs for like 8$ off of Amazon?

I don't want so many in the house buddy, if I get the larvae from the few I have then I'll be happy. I'll try to find some more outside. Have you used ladybugs from breeding packs?

 

[iwltfum]

Buying ladybugs when you could grow them is like buying weed when you could grow it. I would be very easy on the spraying SoilMJ. Lady bugs are sensitive to insecticidal soaps (which usually contain some kind of plant oils and an acetic element, like white vinegar). I'm not positive they would like the h202 either and they definitely won't do well with the glass cleaner or alcohol.

 

[Mcjoint]

I don't want so many in the house buddy, if I get the larvae from the few I have then I'll be happy. I'll try to find some more outside. Have you used ladybugs from breeding packs?

Yea, I have ordered live lady bugs b4, they normally get there in a day or two. I used them for an outdoor garden. It just seems like, a lot of work when lady bugs are soo cheap. I am sure 500 ladybugs would fix tour bug problem faster than 30 will

 

[Major PITA]

Either spray / or use ladybugs.

 

[MassMedMan]

Buying ladybugs when you could grow them is like buying weed when you could grow it.

Have to disagree. Lady bugs are a tool. Just like anything else. You want to wait for the nice sprays to work, that's great. I choose complete removal of the issue, fast, safe, and effectively.

I still use neem although i feed from the saucer rather than foilar but that is my approach. And, i swear by green clean. But, lady bugs work.

I buy lots of stuff i wish i could make do better. But, i also value my time, wait to long on a spider mite problem and you'd wish you spent 5 bucks for a 1000 bug killers that work right away.

Stay frosty

 

[iwltfum]

Have to disagree. Lady bugs are a tool. Just like anything else. You want to wait for the nice sprays to work, that's great. I choose complete removal of the issue, fast, safe, and effectively.

I still use neem although i feed from the saucer rather than foilar but that is my approach. And, i swear by green clean. But, lady bugs work.

I buy lots of stuff i wish i could make do better. But, i also value my time, value, and effort.

Stay frosty

As do I. I don't use lady bugs or sprays myself and haven't had a problem with bugs since I started produce farming in addition to farming cannabis, but the question was about lady bugs. I can't help but assume the idea of spraying anything has been thought through and decided against.

The problem with just going out and buying 1000 lady bugs is that the lady bugs themselves don't really do alot of spider mite eating. It's the larvae that do 80-90% of the damage when it comes to spider mite control.

It takes some patience to use lady bugs as a spider mite control. That's just the way it goes.

 

[Mcjoint]

you could also buy lacewings larvae or praying mantis eggs

 

[MassMedMan]

As do I. I don't use lady bugs or sprays myself and haven't had a problem with bugs since I started produce farming in addition to farming cannabis, but the question was about lady bugs. I can't help but assume the idea of spraying anything has been thought through and decided against.

The problem with just going out and buying 1000 lady bugs is that the lady bugs themselves don't really do alot of spider mite eating. It's the larvae that do 80-90% of the damage when it comes to spider mite control.

It takes some patience to use lady bugs as a spider mite control. That's just the way it goes.

Id show you before and after pictures but i don't have time. I do a little, farming. I use whatever it takes. Organically speaking, ya know. Five bucks is a lot of peace of mind to me. Stay green bro

 

[SolMJ]

I stopped with any sprays & will give the ladybugs some time with minimal disruption. I understand that I can buy all sorts of natural predators online but for now will keep to what I have in the garden...maybe amazon cannot deliver to some remote locations like mine.

In any case the few I have seem happy in there, so if there's mites then I should expect some eggs soon which is really what I'm after. I can't wait forever though.

 

[SolMJ]

you could also buy lacewings larvae or praying mantis eggs

Hey Mc, have you seen those mantises? i would fear for my safety in a room with those...they eat mice! lol. Lacewings are great I see them regularly in the garden but it's a bad idea using them indoors with lights, they're so fragile they just fry near hot bulbs. Even CFLs are too hot for them. Lacewings would be perfect for a greenhouse...plus their larvae are know as 'aphid lions'.

 

[MassMedMan]

Here's the ones i got a month ago. Since I've gone perpetual and I'm not able to shut down my room and clean like i used to between harvest,, I've been fighting mites. I was going on vacation and didn't want to come back to anything out of control. So, i ponyed up 5 beans and got these in the mail, few days after arrival in my rooms they were humping... and since then i have not seen, egg, mite, or new damage. Well worth it.

 

[Spitz]

Not sure why the one in the back doesn't just walk around? Obviously it can't make the jump to get by!!

FYI..
I bought 500 lady bugs a year ago. They keep real well in the refrigerator. I keep them in the beer fridge for fear of them ending up on my corn flakes though. I always have a few in my garden! Gives me something to look for when I tend to all my plants.

 

[Mcjoint]

Hey Mc, have you seen those mantises? i would fear for my safety in a room with those...they eat mice! lol. Lacewings are great I see them regularly in the garden but it's a bad idea using them indoors with lights, they're so fragile they just fry near hot bulbs. Even CFLs are too hot for them. Lacewings would be perfect for a greenhouse...plus their larvae are know as 'aphid lions'.

lol, yea its crazy the things they are able to eat. i personally never seen one but i herd they eat every thing in sight.

 

[SolMJ]

Not sure why the one in the back doesn't just walk around? Obviously it can't make the jump to get by!!

FYI..
I bought 500 lady bugs a year ago. They keep real well in the refrigerator. I keep them in the beer fridge for fear of them ending up on my corn flakes though. I always have a few in my garden! Gives me something to look for when I tend to all my plants.

The beer fridge sounds great amigo. How long can you keep them in the fridge, would they just hibernate like in winter?