FAQs about Yard Pest Control with Beneficial Insects
Get answers to common questions about choosing and using the right beneficial insects to protect your lawn and plants against damaging bugs.
How do beneficial insects help control garden pests?
Our beneficial insects are hungry carnivores that provide natural pest control. They don’t eat plants—only “bad” bugs. Depending on the beneficial insect, their diet may include aphids, fungus gnat larvae, mealy bugs, thrips, white grubs, cutworms, and many other pests. Treating your lawn with the beneficial nematodes in Gardeners Ground Control, for example, can help stop those swarming fungus gnats. And releasing a legion of ladybugs in your garden can fight pests with no risk to your plants, children or pets. Praying mantises can lie in wait to keep prowling pests under control. If there are pests in your yard for them to eat, beneficial insects will make it their home as well. And the eggs they lay will produce new generations to keep the protection going.
How can I eliminate aphids?
Aphids are one of the most common pests gardeners have to deal with every year. And the Gardeners family of beneficial insects has one of the most popular and effective remedies you can use to kill aphids naturally. Ladybugs in both their larval and adult stages love to dine on aphids. One ladybug can consume hundreds of aphids during its life. And ladybugs never munch on plants or threaten other beneficial insects in your garden. Watch our video for more information.
Are pesticides okay to use around beneficial insects?
The short answer is almost always no. This goes for insecticides you spray, as well as the systemic variety you water into the ground for plants to absorb through their roots. In fact the products identified as “neonicotinoids” (because they’re chemically similar to nicotine) are suspected of playing a role in shrinking the world’s vital bee population. Our beneficial insects are an alternative to pesticides and should never be used along with them. If you’ve applied pesticides recently, check their labels or the manufacturer’s website to see how long they will take to break down, and wait till then to release any beneficial insects.
Will beneficial insects stay in my garden?
Beneficial insects go where the food is, providing natural garden pest control. If they’re finding plenty in your yard, they’re likely to stay where the hunting is easy. The beneficial nematodes in Gardeners Ground Control like to reside in the top two feet of your soil. As they reproduce they’ll become a natural part of your garden’s ecosystem. Within 10 days or so after you apply them they should start having an effect on the pests they prey on.
Praying mantises like to stay in one place and wait for their prey to come to them. Introduce them to your garden and they’re inclined to stay there.
As for ladybugs, they do of course have wings. You can encourage them to stay and explore the feeding opportunities in your yard by watering thoroughly late in the afternoon before releasing some of your supply in the evening. Spreading ladybug release over several days (e.g. a third of your supply each day) helps give the ladybugs time to check out the availability of food and water without competing with each other as much. Keep your remaining ladybugs in the refrigerator—NOT the freezer—before releasing them.
Can I buy beneficial insects year-round?
It depends on which kind you need. The beneficial nematodes in Gardeners Ground Control are grown in a lab to ensure consistent quality and supply. They’re always available. Ladybugs migrate, and our collectors gather sustainable quantities of them from private rural lands approved exclusively for their access. Ladybugs are collected when weather is appropriate during December as well as in late May or early June. Praying mantis eggs are only collectable in winter—you’ll typically find them available from January through June.
Can I release different Gardeners beneficial insects together?
The beneficial nematodes in Gardeners Ground Control, as well as our ladybugs and praying mantises, all can complement each other in your garden. This also is the case with most other beneficial insects that may be in your yard.
What’s the difference between "invasive" and "introduced" beneficial insects?
The Chinese Praying Mantid was introduced to North America over a century ago. They have become naturalized over a wide area of North America. Most often, the term “invasive” refers to a non-native creature that causes damage to an ecosystem or a severe negative economic impact to a region. Because today’s Praying Mantid is naturalized and has caused no harm to existing ecosystems, they can accurately be defined as an “introduced” species.
Can I release beneficial insects before I see a pest infestation?
If there really are no pests to eat, beneficial insects will leave your yard in search of better hunting grounds. But the reality is that aphids and other pests are almost always present in gardens—even if you haven’t seen them. Ladybugs will find any aphids and go to work. Praying mantises are likely to stay close to where they hatch and wait for pests that may be passing though, even though they’re unnoticed by you. So typically, it’s never too early to use beneficial insects as a natural pesticide.
What’s the best beneficial insect to get rid of fungus gnats on my indoor plants?
Often mistaken for fruit flies or mosquitoes, fungus gnats are tiny and mostly harmless. But they can be very annoying when they fly around inside your home. Known to be hard to eliminate, they hatch from eggs on the surface of the soil, and the larvae crawl into the soil. The egg-laying adults don’t feed on your plants, but the larvae that emerge from their eggs do feed on plant roots. This can cause stress that makes your plant more prone to disease.
Fungus gnats need moist soil, so be proactive by letting plants absorb all the water from your last watering before you soak them the next time. Also quarantine any new plant for three or four days, then firmly tap on its container. If gnats start flying nearby, keep the plant away from others in your house. And whenever gnats are present, apply Gardeners Ground Control beneficial nematodes to the soil. Unlike suggested remedies such as vinegar, diatomaceous earth, sticky traps, or decorative rocks, beneficial nematodes kill the egg, larva, and pupa stages of the pest in your soil to break the gnat life cycle.
What’s a good way to stop fungus gnats from infesting my lawn?
When a stroll across the grass surrounds you with tiny flying objects swarming through the air, you’re probably in the middle of a fungus gnat infestation. Adult fungus gnats are annoying but harmless. However their larvae like to feed on roots, which can weaken a plant’s resistance to disease. The beneficial nematodes in Gardeners Ground Control live naturally in soil. They provide natural lawn pest control by killing the egg, larva, and pupa stages of the fungus gnat and ending its lifecycle. They also feed on the gnat larvae they kill to create new generations of beneficial nematodes that keep on protecting your lawn.
How should I use Ground Control’s beneficial nematodes?
Ground Control’s beneficial nematodes come in a package that includes a pint-sized container filled with vermiculite. You’ll also find complete instructions and a bag made specifically for creating a solution with the nematodes. This solution is easy and safe to prepare, and it can be applied in a variety of ways, including sprayers and watering cans. We recommend you make annual applications of Ground Control for the most effective ongoing results. Watch our video for more information.
How long does it take Ground Control’s Beneficial Nematodes to work?
Beneficial Nematodes are live creatures. They go to work immediately upon encountering their prey and you should notice a reduction in flying insects after about three days. This is because the nematodes feed on the larvae in the soil rather than attacking flying adult insects. For soil dwelling pest, like grubs, you should see a reduction in number in about a week.
How much area does Ground Control cover?
Ground Control covers up to 2000 square feet. For a severe pest problem, use more of the Ground Control over a smaller area.
What’s the best way to make my garden attractive to pollinators?
Want to attract the pollinating creatures your garden needs to thrive? Stop using harmful chemicals—especially the pesticides that contain neonicotinoids that have been associated with reductions in bee populations. Also, fill your yard with a variety of “pollinator friendly” plants whose differing sizes, colors and shapes will attract diverse types of pollinators. You might also consider installing a pollinator fountain. These gently flowing water sources encourage pollinators to land, sip some fresh water and make themselves at home in your yard.
How many ladybugs are in each cup?
At least 250. There may be a few extras as well!
Do ladybugs prefer sun or shade?
Ladybugs should never be left in the sun! The vented lids on our cartons provide more than adequate air flow for the ladybugs. However, they should be kept in a cool, shaded place until you release them in your garden. Never let them heat up in a hot car. The shavings, pre-moistened for their bedding, provide a temporary, safe environment with the ideal level of humidity.
Why do some ladybugs look dead in the cup?
The typical lifespan of a ladybug is one year. So by the late spring, some ladybugs are reaching the natural end of their lifecycle. Once you take them home and release them, ladybugs lay eggs in your garden, giving life to a new cycle of hungry, pest-eating larvae. Adults will fly up and away in the summer to over-winter in the mountains.
It is normal to find a few dead bugs in the cup, which is why we include more than the 250-count listed on the label.
How do I keep my ladybugs from flying away?
The most important step is to release your ladybugs at dusk because ladybugs do not fly at night. Be sure to wet down the area where they will be released. Ladybugs crawl upwards, so be sure to release them at the base of the affected plants. See our Product page for more information and an instructional application video.
Ladybugs are capable of eating up to 50 aphids per day. They also lay eggs that hatch into larvae. These larvae do not fly but they do eat even more aphids. When the larvae mature into adults, they help perpetuate the ladybug population.
How long will it be before my Praying Mantis eggs hatch?
Just like the old saying, “A watched pot never boils,” it may seem frustrating waiting for the baby nymphs to emerge. It’s not uncommon to wait four weeks. They may hatch in batches rather than all at once with an average incubation time of 2 to 6 weeks. They hatch best in warm temperatures, but not much higher than 80 degrees. A warm windowsill with direct sunlight is ideal.