thistlebloom
Garden Master
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2010
- Messages
- 16,473
- Reaction score
- 17,411
- Points
- 457
- Location
- North Idaho 48th parallel
A week and a half ago I bought 1500 ladybugs for my garden class kids to release on my poor aphid riddled apple tree. That was fun! Unfortunately I think the majority split the scene, even though there are enough aphids on that tree to support quadruple the amount we released. ![:\](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/side.png "side :\")
I was hoping that each week the kids could observe the tree and see the eggs, the larvae and the pupae to experience what we watched on the ladybug life cycle video. With only a few LBs remaining on the tree that wasn't going to be so easy.
So, last week I bought some more and released them Friday evening at sundown after misting the tree with water. Then I cheated and sprayed them in their bag with a 50/50 solution of soda and water to keep their wings temporarily glued so they couldn't all fly over to the neighbors garden.
It worked. They are all over my tree still!
I didn't tell the kids that I got a second batch. It's my little secret. They were all pretty excited to see the tree loaded with LBs Saturday morning.
I was hoping that each week the kids could observe the tree and see the eggs, the larvae and the pupae to experience what we watched on the ladybug life cycle video. With only a few LBs remaining on the tree that wasn't going to be so easy.
So, last week I bought some more and released them Friday evening at sundown after misting the tree with water. Then I cheated and sprayed them in their bag with a 50/50 solution of soda and water to keep their wings temporarily glued so they couldn't all fly over to the neighbors garden.
It worked. They are all over my tree still!
I didn't tell the kids that I got a second batch. It's my little secret. They were all pretty excited to see the tree loaded with LBs Saturday morning.
