Aphids suck plants dry – especially young shoots, buds and leaves are at risk. There are a lot of ways to combat it – from folk recipes (infusions of soap, garlic, onions, wood ash) to potent chemicals. Some mercilessly cut off the deformed tips of the shoots or douse the branches with a powerful stream of water from a hose.
However, there is one simple and extremely effective way to forget about aphids forever, which was described by Nikolai Vladimirovich Khromov, an expert on the Antonov Garden portal. We are talking about an ordinary ladybug.
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It turns out that this beneficial insect happily eats aphid larvae and does not rest until there is not a single pest left on the site. Moreover, ladybugs are ready to feast on spider mites, mole crickets, nematodes, Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles and many, many other pests.
One ladybug larva can eat several dozen aphid larvae in a day.
Where to buy ladybugs and how to care for them
You can buy them at garden centers and gardening stores. The larvae are kept in special containers. Release them directly onto the infected plants – they will do the rest of the work themselves.
By the way, some summer residents collect ladybugs at forest edges, fields and ravines.
You will have to stop using pesticides. In the fight against pests and diseases, only traditional methods can be used – garlic, tansy, nettle, ash, celandine.
Leave open containers of water in the area for ladybugs.
In the fall, ladybugs will prepare for winter. Make a small house for them (or buy a ready-made one to order), placing bait enzymes in it from natural protein, minerals and vitamins.
