Ladybugs & Lacewings

Any recommendations on a good mail order company for ladybugs and lacewings? I would hate to end up with a house full of ladybugs because I was sent the "wrong" kind.

Thanks in advance.

BENS,
Have you checked your local REAL nursury centers?? NOT lowes, home depot, etc, (although they COULD have them). Over here to the coast, a place called "The Bark and Garden Center" carries lady bugs, not sure about the other thingy.

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&hs=UGE&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&q=bark+and+garden&near=Olympia,+WA&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title

or http://www.barkandgarden.com/

Lemme know if this helps you any. I just tried to call them, but its 630pm here, and they are closed. if you send me a reminder, i will try to stop by for you in the AM.

Best;
bluelytes

Best Regards;
bluelytes

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give them a call in the morning; if nothing else, they will probably be able to steer me in the right direction.
I haven't had any luck so far with the local nursery centers and I'm wary of the major stores, they tend to go for quantity over quality.

BENS,
i could pick them up and send them on over if they have them, if you'd like?

Best;
bluelytes

Good morning -

Thank you very much for the offer - it's very kind of you! I'll just call them myself because I have a few gardening questions I need to ask anyway.

I have to say that the discussion forums on this site have the most pleasant and helpful people I have come across. Thanks again for you offer.

bensjd

You can get lacewing eggs at Gardens Alive. They have a web site. I used them for that, and after the first batch seemed to fail, they sent me a replacement at no cost. I never saw the lacewings, but something seemed to help with the scale.....
CJ

BENS,
S'ok. YVW!! We all can help each other. I prolly ship it cheaper than they would, but its your money, lol. Besides, its not ENTIRELY altruistic on my part. You see, I want something from a store in spokane, ;) :)) heheheh

Call it a barter, ;)

Best;
bluelytes

BENS,
Just got offa the phone with that place. They do NOT have lacewings. Sorry. However, they DID say that the ladybugs they have should travel there fine.

Best;
bluelytes

BEN;
Sorry to bother you again, but I re-called that place near me, and they said they "are not interested in shipping ladybugs", They said they buy their ladybugs/lacewings from http://organiccontrol.com/ I could not find a price list there, but I would think it would be at least 20.00+ dollars, incl shipping, and such.

Best;
bluelytes

Hi everyone. A few yrs. ago I bought ladybugs from Gardens Alive. They were asleep when they arrived. When they awoke and were released, they ate all the aphids in my garden. Problem was....when they ran out of food, they moved on.They didn't stick around.
They were asleep 'cause they were shipped at a low temp. I did keep the 2nd. batch in the veggie crisper. I never did tell hubby that. He would have run screaming from the house.

Gloria,
You were lucky. Often they don't eat before they fly...(probably back to California) And of course they are not going to stay if there is nothing to eat. The hope is that they will lay eggs on infested plants before they take off, so that their wingless babies will eat, pupate, and start the cycle over again. The best way to have ladybugs is to not spray toxic chemicals so that the locals can build up a population in the garden, as the aphids build up their population. Then you get that critical balance of nature. When the food supply dwindles, they go to another restaurant. As your aphid population builds back up, they'll find you again, because their last restaurant is now low on food. It just swings back and forth, unless you disrupt it by spraying insecticides. Then it's all yours m'dear. But I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. ;-)

Yeah, I gave up toxic waste decades ago (&47 rosebushes). Kidney damage isn't worth it. The way I see it, if a plant is very susceptable to infestation & even with much effort I still can't control it....it's outa here. Oh, and the ladybugs had to warm up before they flew. I had heavy infestation on a Mock Orange. (which I eventually gave up on).

BENS,
let us know how it turns out for ya!!

Best;
bluelytes