My Pest control program
 

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alternative to chemicals and sprays, ladybugs, when released at sundown (since they don't fly at night) will eat aphids, mealybugs, scale, leaf hoppers, thrips, plant-eating worms, and other destructive soft-bodied pests. The ladybugs will then lay eggs and when new pests arrive, fresh ladybugs will be waiting for them with open JAWS. 500 live lady bugs for 8 bucks

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While you do risk reducing the populations of beneficial insects by releasing praying mantis into your garden/greenhouse, you increase the chances that insect pests troubling your plants will be eliminated. Ive hatched them out before and the frogs got most of them before they had a chance to harden up and fly off. I have to be more careful where I set the nest out.

You can buy the nest and set it up and watch for em.

that is all I use as I no longer use chemicals for pest..It might work for some of you too who have animals or allergies to deal with.. Good luck :)

:wtg: I sometimes get lady bugs to release just 'cos I like them :D

I agree that risk of reducing the populations of beneficial insects by releasing praying mantis into your garden/greenhouse can increase the chances that insect pests troubling your plants will be eliminated.

I bought lacewings and ladybugs this year to deal with a severe mealy infestation. Preying mantis cases came with the set. I put the cases in the back yard and I have seen a few young mantises. I also see the lacewing and ladybug larvae working on my plants, along with a few adult lady bugs throughout the yard, also working. They are pretty good pest control. I am not seeing any mealy bugs at all on the plants I put outside. :)

Many moons ago, I found at least a dozen mantis egg cases in the shrubs in my back yard. I moved four or five of them into the greenhouse.

You have never really "lived" until you walk into the greenhouse, and literally thousands of 1/2" mantises jump on you all at once! For me, it falls into the same category as walking into a spider web at night, or having that piece of seaweed brush your leg in the ocean, doing a remarkably good job of mimicking a great white shark!

I like mantises, lady bugs and lacewings...outside. Of course, ladybug larvae are not too bad and they do occasionally come indoors in the fall with the plants and do an amazing job keeping the plants clean. With the warmer autumns and winters, I have been able to release them when they mature.