Re: CULT:Beneficial insects


 . . . . Asian ladybug . . . . They bite pretty good to(o).

Amen to that! I "hired" those rascals to work in my greenhouse. . .and
work they did but did those suckers BITE!! I was just amazed! I had them
up my arms, neck, chest (ouch - no bra) and face while turning them
loose. In enclosed areas with a FOOD SUPPLY, they do their job. They got
rid of those aphids in no time and then, gradually, they left the
greenhouse. But they stuck around the area and I found them in my
gardens. I also observed lots of sexual activity resulting in those
lovely little "dragon" lady bug babies which just love aphids! 
        I learned that if you can just be patient, feed the soil, supply
hiding places (mulch, for example, as someone stated), and create and
maintain a healthy environment and DON'T USE CHEMICALS THAT KILL THE GOOD
GUYS, Mother Nature will fill in the gaps to a great degree. 
        When my Arilbreds started growing this spring and the weather
warmed, I saw aphids by the ounce (I wanted to say "ton" but that would
be too much!) I just waited and watched and within a week, the little
dragons were present along with their parents (I assume), and little by
little, the aphids were gone and have remained gone to date.
        In my vegetable beds, I have both red and white cabbage planted.
I checked the plants and found only ONE white cabbage plant infested with
(tons) of aphids but not a single one of the other plants was infested.
Again, I just watched. . .within 3-4 days the dragons were there again,
devouring the aphids. I kept that one plant as a trap plant and none of
the other cabbages were attacked. 
        While not a purist, (I do use RoundUp on Bermuda), I've learned
in 35 years of gardening 99% organically that if you create a healthy
BALANCE, and employ common sense, you can do pretty darn well without
chemicals. . . 
        Both Bill Shear and Mike Greenfield made some excellent comments
and observations. It's trial and error and what works for one person in
one location might not work fer S--- for another person somewhere else.
And to add to the confusion, what works one time probably won't work the
next time!! But that's the joy and challenge of gardening, be it Iris or
vegetables. . .it's a whole new world every year!! Keeps us thinking and
rising to all the challenges - keeps us sharp. . keeps our brains
working. . .

Doris Elevier
USDA 7b, Sunset 11
El Paso, TX

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