Are you looking to add lacewing larvae to get rid of pests in your garden? One of the best ways is to procure them as lacewing eggs and release them when the time is right. In this article, we talk about the best way to do this.
Lacewing larvae are beneficial insects. They are biocontrol agents that eat up pests like mites, thrips, and aphids and help eliminate them from your gardens.
If you are dealing with an infestation in your garden, you can purchase their eggs and release their larvae when they hatch.
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Continue reading to learn more about how lacewings benefit your garden.
What Do Lacewing Eggs Look Like?
One can easily recognize adult lacewings due to their veinous wings and large, golden eyes, but it will be challenging to spot lacewings’ eggs.
They look like typical insect eggs and can belong to other tiny creatures that crawl in the garden. They are also relatively tiny and hence, difficult to spot.
One of the ways to identify lacewing eggs is to notice the number of eggs on the leaf. A typical lacewing female can lay up to 200 eggs at a time.
Secondly, these eggs will be laid out on stalks instead of directly on the leaf. They would be hanging above the surface.
If you spot these kinds of eggs in your garden, make sure to preserve them carefully, as explained later in the article, because these eggs have many predators.
These eggs are usually found on the surface of leaves of the plants like asparagus, leafy greens, broccoli, and alfalfa. You can also find them on cruciferous plants and fruit crops.
Where Can You Buy Them?
Since green lacewings are beneficial insects, many people consider buying them even in their larval stage. A number of online stores carry them like Amazon.
When Do They Hatch?
The eggs of lacewings typically take about a week to hatch. When the egg hatches, you can see tiny alligator-like green lacewing larvae coming out.
The larvae then reach the pupal stage and mature as an adult. The entire process takes about four weeks to complete.
How To Release Lacewing Larvae?
Green Lacewings, as adults, should be released immediately after delivery. All you have to do is open the package or jar to release them into the garden.
In the case of the lacewing eggs, you must wait until the larvae emerge and then release them to the foliage.
So, when the product delivers, check for tiny larvae (barely visible) inside the eggs. Once they hatch, sprinkle them near the hotspots of the pests.
However, it would be best if you kept them in the release boxes (that usually come along with the eggs) until the larvae became ready to search for food. These boxes work as a shelter for these predatory insects.
Best Time To Release Them
If you have purchased the green or brown lacewings to release them into the garden, make sure to do so when the temperature is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 Celsius.
You can also keep these generalist predators in a dark room for three days at a temperature ranging from ten to eighteen degree Celsius before releasing them in the garden.
Additionally, you should ensure that the larvae should be sprinkled or distributed so that there is one lacewing for at least 50 prey.
However, if the area belongs to fast-growing crops, one must distribute the green bodies so that one larva can prey on ten pests.
What To Expect After Releasing Them?
Once you release them, the females will start laying eggs in the hot spot areas of aphids, mites, and other pests.
Once released, it will be difficult to spot the adult lacewings since they would be busy clearing your garden from the infestation.
However, you can easily spot the newly hatched larvae after a week or so and know exactly where they are heading to.
You will also learn about the presence of the larvae once the area starts to clear from infestation.
The larvae are biocontrol agents that begin feeding on pests and small insects as soon as they are exposed to the foliage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are lacewing eggs?
Lacewing is a beneficial insect that lays (female) about 200 eggs or more on the surface of the leaves of cruciferous plants. These eggs are white and tiny – so much so that it is difficult to spot them with the naked eye.
How do you use lacewing eggs?
Lacewing eggs are used to eliminate the garden pests, like aphids, spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, and more. One can attract adult lacewings into the infested area or release the females in the garden to lay eggs to get rid of the pests.
Why are lacewings good for the garden?
Lacewings are beneficial insects that eat up garden pests like aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.
If your garden or crop field is infested with these pests, you can quickly eliminate them by releasing lacewings into the garden.
Do lacewings bite humans?
Lacewings can bite humans if they feel threatened or provoked. However, it is pretty rare for them to bite humans.
Their bite is harmless and usually doesn’t cause discomfort unless you are allergic to insects. Lacewing larvae are also biters, but their bite doesn’t count for much, either.
Wrap Up
Lacewings are certainly helpful agents to human beings. Whether they are larvae or adults, they can help you eliminate unwanted pest infestation in your garden or crop field.
So, keep the eggs safe in your garden, and if you are buying them from the market, make sure you release them as per the tips we shared.
Thank you for reading!
9 Comments.
Thanks! I have seen some Neuroptera/lacewings around here, so that’s probably it.
Awesome post! Lacewings are pretty amazing, and their eggs actually look quite pretty to me. Thanks for sharing.
They are moth eggs! Google picture
Is it possible to have these on yo
ur scalp? I am in Durango CO and have been trying to maintain my sanity with these clever creatures. My story is kind of a Morgellons disease type case although not quite…
Who knows??? Help me please sombody and I will tell you what needs to be known.
Is it possible to have these on yo
ur scalp? I am in Durango CO and have been trying to maintain my sanity with these clever creatures. My story is kind of a Morgellons disease type case although not quite…
Who knows??? Help me please sombody and I will tell you what needs to be known.
Hey how long do the lacewing eggs stay on the net for because there are some black/bronze one please HELP
We suspect the eggs may change color prior to hatching. We do not believe the eggs take more than a few weeks to hatch.
I have these now …I’ve seen they turn brown once they have hatched and saw a tiny almost microscopic worm like emerge and crawl upwards …I hosed them all off …we have way more nests now scattered in circles patches of eggs and saw the mamma this time … no idea what it is …not a beetle and no wings ? Where do they go after hatching and what is it ?
A beneficial predator.