Wierd Orchid Friend? Or Foe? - Orchid Board

Tindomul · #1 09-28-2006, 10:40 PM

So I have heard of the legendary pest killing powers of the Lady Bug. And for many years I have tried to get one to live in my vivariums.
The other night I found one in my apartment, and thinking about my recent troubles with mites, I decided to put the lady bug on my phal. Tonight, I look at my phal, and who do you think I find still walking on my phal? Little Miss Lady Bug.
This is the longest I have ever been able to get one to stay in one place for me.
So this means either
A)The lady bug is making dinner out of my Phal, yet I see no damage
or
B)She has found food(mites!!!!

) and is devastating their numbers as we speak

.
Yet again, I see no damage from mites either.

Whats up???

Marty · #2 09-29-2006, 08:08 AM

Your lady friend could be dead

hehe

littlefrog · #3 09-29-2006, 09:13 AM

Could be an asian lady beetle. They were imported for release as a natural predator (since they breed fast). Unfortunately, they breed much faster than they eat, it seems. They are quite a pest around here, this time of year they start heading indoors for winter hiding spots. One lady beetle is cute, a few thousand in your living room, not so cute.

From what I understand, the asian one are not as red (more orange, like yours). I try to round them up and release them in the greenhouse, but I don't know if it helps.

Tindomul · #4 09-29-2006, 12:08 PM

Oh, its not dead. It grazes around the orchid all day. Found it grabbing on to the underleaf of the same phal this morning.

cb977 · #5 09-29-2006, 01:10 PM

At one of my monthly meetings recently, we had the head horticulturist from the National Botanical Gardens in D.C. as our speaker. She said that they purposely release "beneficial" insects into the controlled environment, first on her list: ladybugs! They also use lacewings and some others. Very interesting stuff!!!

Tindomul · #6 09-29-2006, 02:17 PM

Cool! So they are friends. Now, does this mean I've got ladybug food munching and living on my orchids?!

Oscarman · #7 09-29-2006, 06:28 PM

I think ladybugs eat other insects only, not plants - except for the odd helping of nectar, honeydew or pollen.

Having them around in controlled numbers would be a good thing.

Ironwood · #8 09-29-2006, 10:15 PM

I think it is the lady bug larva that have large appetites.

You can look at some of the different types here.
http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm

Tindomul · #9 09-29-2006, 10:31 PM

Thanks, great link! I found her after coming home from work today. Still on the Phal. I think maybe I have a new pet.

justatypn · #10 09-30-2006, 08:06 PM

Tindo, at HD we sell ladybugs, aphids, preying mantis in multiples, net bags in which are cut open and left on the plant for the little buggers to crawl out of seclusion and devour pests. When we had a wrongful shipment of gardenia's, full of pest we opened a bag of ladybugs the results were phenonemal...a good pet to have.