The Iridescent Green Lacewing and the benefits to your garden.

Green lacewings are one of several insect predators. They are ½ to ¾ of an inch long with delicate-looking wings that give them their name. These insects have golden colored eyes and long antennae. There are many different varieties of green lacewings, though they closely resemble one another. Their eggs are elongated and flat and look like tiny alligators.

Most gardeners understand the benefits of the bright red ladybug. Fewer recognize the green lacewing for its ruthless ways in keeping your garden pest-free. In fact, they provide just as many benefits to a grower seeking a chemical-free solution as the ladybug. Lacewings can be your best gardening pal if you put aside those broad spectrum insecticides and let them roam unchecked in your gardens and greenhouses.

Green lacewings aren’t picky eaters and will prey on a wide range of bad bugs such as, leafhoppers, aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, mites, thrips, mealybugs and psyllids.

Using lacewings for insect control is a common practice in greenhouses and gardens. Sometimes they will show up on their own after the spring breeding season. If you look closely, you might see thin, thread-like spindles hanging on the undersides of plant leaves. Their larva is very unique.

By not using broad spectrum insecticides you might even entice the green lacewings to stick around. Remember, chemicals often destroy the good bugs, creating room for the bad bugs to multiply. If insecticides must be used, search out ones that target a specific group of pests such as Bacillus thuringiensis, a type of poison that only works on maggots and caterpillars.

Having green lacewings in your garden won’t guarantee that your plants are never under siege from bad bugs, especially if the beneficial insects are doing their job and no bad bugs are left. When that happens the lacewings will move on to find other sources of food. So, monitor your plants and be ready to order your green lacewings before your plants are destroyed by unwanted pests.

For more information or questions visit marchbiological.com or call 800-328-9140.