Sleeping lady bugs

[CalVet420]

I've been reallly trying to get ahold of this mite problem. I'm sick of it. I tried ladybugs before and lost to the mites. Since then I found a really cool place that I can go to harvest ladybugs without buying them.

I set them out while the lights are off. I come back in after the lights have been on and I have lady bugs all over the bottom of the tray and on the floor. They're on their backs and appear dead. If I sweep them up, or even just pick a few up, their legs start moving and they start walking around.

Is there anything I can do to get these buggers to work for me?

 

[oldhippybiker]

hey Cal, how are you catching these ladybugs? I might have missed it but hey to you for using a natural solution to your problem. I was wondering how you found your supply and how you harvest them, also what part of the planet are you? I know ladybugs are great for ridding garden of some pests and have used them outside. I recently had a spider mite infestation and was looking for a solution. I came across a general recipe I think from the Roseman that goes like this-
1 gal warm water
1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent (Dawn works best for me)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

These are mixed together and spray the shit out of your plants, especially the bottom of leaves. you can protect your growing medium by just throwing a rag in there to catch the run-off and then ringing it out. A little of this getting into your soil is no big deal but don't know the effect on hydro, room full of suds and buds?
Anyway, some like to spray with clean water to rinse off respiration clogging mixture some hours later and repeating this about three sessions should do. Just be sure to let the spray dry to do it's killing in between rinse spray.
If convenient I take each plant (I'm in soil) right into the bath tub and do her up.
This is recommended as a precautionary regular schedule to prevent problems before they appear in some literature. And your plants will love you for a spray bath every month or so until buds form.

Now, since I had the mite problem in both my finish room and vegging room I keep the humidity up in veg and down in budding. By spraying daily(water) in the veg area, no mites. They will not hang around in humid conditions. And by removing each plant in finish area and treating as mentioned and then totally clean and debug entire area and hang a no-pest strip and keep humidity high for a few days watching for any mold and remove promptly I have a mite free finish shed.


One of the sponsors of this site sent me a sample of their Sierra Natural Science SNS 217 Spider Mite Control and it worked as well and smells nice (Rosemary Oil).

Not tryin' to sell anything just some info. Hope this helps but if it's not what your looking for let me know and I'll help if I can. OHB

"Not only do I work growing weed I'm also a client."

 

[CalVet420]

first I want to say thanks for recipe and advise.

How do I catch them? I scoop them into a small luchbox. I know of a few different locations that they acumulate like this.

Where in the world you ask, that's the great state of California that lets me grow my own meds.

The one down fall of indoor growing where I live is the limit on the number of plants I can grow. On the flip side, however, the advantage to that is that you can grow single plants wide enough that they don't easily go through a door way and into the tub any more.

I have found myself to be a little too incosistant with washing my plants, dispite knowing that I have to do it. I'm trying to create a stable environment that my plants can grow without the introduction of, lets say any more chemicals and sprays. I've been through neem and dr dooms trying to eradicate them and they keep coming back.

My overall goal, with the mites and my room, is to create a Pest free and chemical free environment for my plants. I plan on ordering some preditor mites and such, but that's after payday rolls around. I've read about ladybugs and as you can see, I didn't have to pay for them. I've decided once and for all to be done with them and let nature do what it does best.

I'm looking here to find out how to get the ladybugs to stop sleeping on the job.

 

[SnowBender]

One problem is here in cali especially the (mite) borg adapts to one eradication method quickly and you have to rotate methods to keep them at bay.

 

[Saturn]

The only place I've seen lady bugs in that big of swarm is up at the Mt Baldy lodge and only certain times of the year.

I'm very interested in what you find out.

 

[CalVet420]

Update:

So after some more research, I believe I know a little more about what's going on with my ladybugs. The lady bugs, during the day (lights on), eat and crawl around and fly from place to place. They also seem to be attracted to the light above the plants when they fly. It seems to be a known fact that they will eventually die from flying too close for too long to the heat of the lamp. I'm guessing that most of the sleeping bugs are just waiting to die.


Also all but a few of the ladybugs are done and the predator mites are at work now.

 

[420]

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