Buying Ladybugs and other beneficial insects for the garden: why it can be a big mistake!

Regenerative gardening course: blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl...
Flower arranging course: blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl... Buying ladybugs, preying mantis, and lacewings can be popular options in organic gardening for alternatives to pesticides. But is it always a good thing to do? Is it really a better option than using pesticides? How do we go about handling "pests" and nibbling insects in the regenerative garden space?
In this video, we will dive into some of the considerations behind buying ladybugs and other beneficial insects for the garden, and what to do instead! Remember, on my channel, we are NOT built around selling you things or promos: so what you see us talk about is what we truly use and believe in, not what we are just trying to sell you.
02:32: Ladybugs
06:04: Lacewings
07:27: Praying mantis
09:30: Using native plants to attract beneficials
12:00: Aphid midge/aphidoletes aphidimyza
To check out our full online course, click here!
blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl...

[@petpawteek8776]

It took about three seasons for me to see my local native ladybug population explode. Last year was the first year that I was able to look at my aphid infestation and just walk away from it. Three weeks later the lady bugs had taken care of it for me. It’s amazing what happens when humans step out of the way and just let nature do it’s thing.😊❤

[@melissam731]

Excellent information! I had thought of buying lady bugs and praying mantis bugs, but glad I didn't waste my money. Creating your own ecosystem makes much more sense. Thanks again for such an informative and educational video.

[@PowderhornWild]

Such a refreshing perspective compared to most gardening channels on KZbin.

[@ChristiHelmsPandelos]

I am so glad I watched your video. I was definitely going to buy ladybugs and had no idea all of the information that you gave in this very short video with so much information. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I am a new gardener and I’m trying to learn. ~ Christi

[@carybradley3968]

Excellent content. Thank you for reminding of the danger of humans messing with ecosystems. Very helpful!

[@nicolephillips9991]

I am on year two of my garden at our newish house and I am just starting to get the native plants going. I have been dealing with pests in my garden, even causing the loss of harvest but I know that it will just take time. I try to plant as much as possible, knowing that I will lose some as I start to grow the eco system in our yard. Thank you for the excellent reminder of how decisions gardeners make can negatively effect their garden in the long run.

[@karenbaker5485]

So helpful. I found a bunch of aphids a couple weeks ago on my gaura. Because of what I’ve been learning from you I walked away. Today I checked the plant and they are almost gone. So thankful for this information.

[@dfinite4089]

You really have the most evolved information, grateful for the education!

[@Suburbangeek]

Yes! Packed with information - thank you.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Thank you very much, I appreciate that ❤️

[@ivylll3397]

Agreeing with you on not bringing in any beneficial bugs that are not native to the region. (I’m growing a lot more herbs & pollinator friendly plants this year, in the hopes of attracting more beneficial insects to take care of pest on my roses… But I’m also hanging sticky yellow papers nearby, which I forgot to take into consideration.. Just found out I’m trapping more bees on these sticky paper than the flies🥹😱 Felt terrible for these bees when taking the sticky paper down last night..

[@madelinerivera7445]

Wow! Thank you so much for educating us on these so-called beneficials. Everyone needs to "share" this video and get this information out. So many swear by ladybugs; I'm so glad I didn't buy into all that. I always believed that nature would just do its thing. I like the idea of growing the "sacrifice" plants for the aphids to nibble on.

[@shariglasser7192]

So interesting and informative! I was actually looking at a website yesterday about this. My gut was telling me 'no, don't do it' but you see online everyone is doing this. I'm happy I didn't purchase them.

[@earthhippie]

I never realized you can buy ladybugs for a garden. I try to just plant and tend. Bare minimum because I just don't have any experience yet and everything is a learning process. Haven't used any pesticides even though bugs love what I have grown so far, it just hasn't been a big issue yet. This is a great video that explains so much in such a little amount of time.

[@jessicastclair5583]

Great timing! Was just pondering if I should get lady bugs to help deal with my aphid issue. My garden is young and still working to get a good eco system.

[@growgood]

Great video. I found a bunch of ladybug eggs on my native milkweed this year.

[@tarawatterson4188]

Really thorough and helpful treatment of this issue!

[@lostpony4885]

I love the mantises, the kind i didnt buy laid egg sacs im eagerly watching.

[@talktosomeone]

I just love your wisdom and knowledge! You bring such new perspectives on everything, very different from what I see in other youtube gardeners. Thank you! I'm so happy I found your channel!!!

[@LauraStepney]

I had an aphid infestation on my beans earlier this year (in my first year garden) and it was probably actually a good thing long term because my ladybug and hoverfly population has just EXPLODED! I'll leave my garden messy this winter and hopefully these beneficials will be here sooner next year :)

[@Blossomandbranch]

Truly! When you let nature take the lead it’s pretty incredible!

[@ntur117]

Fabulous content! Thank you! :). I just am not looking forward to those nasty Japanese Beetles. My mornings are usually consumed with picking as many as I can off my plants and giving the soap baths. Case and point - non native bugs that have taken over in our area :(

[@Blossomandbranch]

They are terrible. We’ve started just avoiding planting things that are sensitive to them-except roses. Can’t stop with those!

[@jessicastclair5583]

I hate them, thankfully they shake off into my bowl of soapy water pretty easily.

[@ntur117]

@@Blossomandbranch they were going after my zinnias and dahlia :(. I discovered they seem to love rhubarb so have a trap plant they’ve started to migrate to last season that’s far away from the flower beds. I still gather them in soap bath every morning.

[@debraackerman2890]

Thanks for the great info.

[@josdantas9739]

Thank you very much for this info.

[@StormWarningMom]

Ladybugs tend to hang out in my garden and I don't typically treat for aphids anyways. I kinda figure with my very small amount of stuff I'm growing, it's just not that big of a deal and I'm willing to just let nature do its thing.

[@Mheldz09]

I appreciate you sharing this information! Thank you!

[@Blossomandbranch]

You are so welcome!

[@lani_lucia]

wow thank you

[@lorilawton9546]

Another great video. My fall sown snaps have thrips. I am going to remove them. Any other suggestions? Never dealt with thrips before.

[@myurbangarden7695]

I have purchased Ladybugs 🐞 several times, they never really stick around.

[@CarolineJensen]

Love golden Alexander. I plant a lot of it!

[@JoyoftheGardenandHome]

Preach!

[@fabricdragon]

i remember being so angry when i found out that all the praying mantis egg cases- even for science class and so on - were chinese , invasive, and ... half the time if i ask a supplier if they have native or chinese praying mantises they tell me "american, we harvest them in our yard!" yes, but which KIND are they? "there are kinds?"

[@rogehnimunoz4327]

Excellent discussion abt the beneficials. How about the nematodes? Pls share your thoughts about that. I’m learning a lot from you. Thank you so much.

[@rachelleighwilliams]

Thrips are my biggest headscratcher. What's your suggestion?

[@saklee1777]

So what about if the ladybugs are already native to where u live? Is it ok to buy them. Yeah, they may fly away, but still, at least it was still worth it because there are more ladybugs closer to my garden. It’s not like they are expensive anyway.

[@llamawerkz]

I have hoverflies all over my blue mistflowers (eupatorium coelestinum) and I know nothing about them. Are they a beneficial insect? Do they eat pest insects? Please keep posting videos like these!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes! Hover flies are great, especially the larvae-they gobble tons of aphids!

[@SPshaun]

I left my garden a junk pile mess last fall. I mulched with leaves and did not even cut back the dahlias. Last summer I found that for the first time ever I had cucumber beetles. They killed off the cucumbers quickly and then went for the dahlias. I have seen only one so far this year. Also notable is that I have seen far less cabbage moths. Not sure why but I’ll take it. I netted half of my cabbage to as an experiment and believe it or not, they are less bug eaten and are much larger than the non netted. We have slugs galore here in the PNW. Maybe they didn’t get in either?

[@jessicamagnant6096]

Hi there! I'm wondering if this is strictly meant for buying insects only? What if I'm finding a ton of green lacewing eggs naturally in my garden?

[@Blossomandbranch]

YES it is for buying them, hence the title :) finding them is wonderful and means they’re appearing on their own and you’re creating the right habitat for them!!

[@latebloominghippie]

💚💚💚

[@AnnaKincaid]

I recently learned this and had already released lady bugs, lacewings and Chinese praying mantis. From what I have heard the native mantis is the Carolina mantis. we did keep a few Mantis in our terrarium since we home school. Your videos are so awesome I want to try and have a more native yard to encourage a natural eco system in our yard. Thank you so much for these videos!

[@saklee1777]

3:10 ??? If ladybugs are harvested in Colorado, where were the ladybugs? I live in Colorado and I barely saw any ladybugs this year. I usually see ladybugs all the time when it’s warm out (there’s about 80 different kinds that live in Colorado) so if everyone’s buying ladybugs where r they? My plants got aphids last year but I didn’t see ladybugs in my yard

[@Blossomandbranch]

There are theories that their populations are declining due to the over harvest of them during hibernation.

[@charlottej8549]

Thank you again. And great hat ; )

[@joeanderson8839]

We have plenty of ladybugs.

[@JamesJones-gj1ii]

Seems like every year it’s a different bug. Last year cabbage moths and this year aphids. I did buy some lady bugs. Wish I would have seen this video first.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Never too late to build up the ecosystem!

[@JamesJones-gj1ii]

@@Blossomandbranch working on it for sure. Planted more flower varieties and veggie varieties. Definitely need to look at more native stuff though.

[@rebekahmcdermott5504]

Forewarning to anyone unfamiliar with midges: they bite like mosquitoes and they’re honestly horrible.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Not all midges are the same. You are thinking of Ceratopogonidae, aka no-see-ums. Different than aphidoletes.

[@1erinjames]

Well...when neighbors use heavy pesticides and ALL the aphids attack and start destroying your garden, releasing ladybugs is the right thing to do!!!

[@bobbyabbott3035]

Always something wrong with everything! We all supposed to drive electric too!

[@1meinleben]

There is no such thing as a "native" honey bee in North America. All bees in North American have been imported.

[@user-cs7vs1xq4w]

False information about LADYBUGS 🐞 they only fly away if they have no food source💯%fact if you don’t have an infestation of aphids aka whiteflies then ladybugs will leave in search of food.