Preserving ladybugs

[Nikolay]

Hello, does anybody have experience of keeping ladybugs refrigerated for long, or preserving them somehow differently?

The problem: I’m growing a few plants on my balcony, not a big garden, so I can’t create a proper ecosystem to attract and host wild ladybugs. My plants are already infested by aphids, the most eco-friendly way of getting rid of these folks would be feeding ladybugs on them, but looks like it’s not the cheapest way - regularly ordering them would be costly. I’m thinking of buying 1500 at once, putting them in the fridge, taking out little by little, a few dozens every few weeks, warming up, and placing them directly on the infested leaves.

Does it look like a proper approach? Will it work? Is there a better way?

 

[Chuck]

I tried ladybugs once on aphids. About half of the aphids decided that they didn't like the taste of aphids all that much and flew off within the hour. The rest of them stayed around until the aphids were gone but it took days. IMO it is a waste of time and money if you are a serious gardener when all one has to do is put 2 or 3 tablespoons of dishsoap into a spray bottle and spray. And most times all you have to do is squirt the aphids with a STRONG stream of water. Once an aphid is sucking the juice from your plant its jaws are locked onto the plant and he can't or won't let go and the force of the water washes him away but leaves his jaw behind.

 

[Nikolay]

Thanks, I didn’t know about the dish soap method, but I think it’s only applicable on non-edible leaves whereas my aphids are everywhere including dill, sorrel. Soaping them out of just peppers won’t take long effect - they will reinfest from the nearing herbs in a few weeks. A STRONG stream of water is a bit difficult to apply on a balcony.

Anyway I’ve already ordered bugs to give them a try, will see. I was just curious if there is a good way to preserve them for long. As far as I understand, they naturally don’t live long unless they stay dormant.

 

[YumYum]

Just so you know, the dish soap will kill the ladybugs too if you spray them.

 

[Nikolay]

Four weeks update: ladybugs stored in the fridge (top shelf) perfectly survived. Initially I thought of releasing little by little every week, but decided that it's not very healthy for them to wake up and get dormant again multiple times. Looks like these bugs do not tolerate heat waves - I released them in the evening, on the next day they all've gone. Except for a few which I think are just disabled and can't fly

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I can't really think dish soap is too bad if you rinse your stuff before eating, like you rinse your dishes. On the other hand I use ordinary soap and an old shaving brush. I have never been sure if it is the physical contact, there are always aphids stuck to the brush, or if it 'drowns' them, but it works well, and I have never noticed my veg tasting of soap after they are rinsed.

On a side note, always wash anything you pick and eat, soap or not. I remember my hippie friends laughing at me for it and eating straight from the plant "It's natural man". Then they got natural worms.