Can I Use Predatory Lacewings to Kill Aphids on My Pot Plants?

By
Danny Danko
Dear Dan,
My plants have aphids and my buddy suggested I use “lacewings.” What are they and how do I deploy them? — Billy

Dear Billy,

Green Lacewings are predatory insects from the Chrysopidae family. Their larvae feed on the eggs and immature stages of pests including spider-mites, thrips, whiteflies and more. In other words, they work great in an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) system as an organic alternative to potentially harmful pesticides.

And the good news is that the larvae love to devour aphids, so much so that they’re sometimes referred to as aphid lions!

You can order them online, and they are shipped as eggs in an inert medium made up of rice or bran hulls. You disperse the mix around the base of your plants, and within a few days, they will hatch and start munching on aphids and their eggs.

Danny Danko

Danny Danko is a writer, photographer and the Senior Cultivation Editor of High Times magazine. He has selected High Times’ annual Top 10 Strains of the Year since 2005 and is also the creator and founder of the High Times Seed Bank Hall of Fame, author of The Official High Times Field Guide to Marijuana Strains and the forthcoming book Cannabis: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana. He hosts the podcast High Times presents "Free Weed from Danny Danko."

By
Danny Danko
Tags: Grow Q&A

Recent Posts

Cannabis Community, Investors React to DEA Decision To Reschedule

Cannabis advocates hailed the DEA’s decision to reclassify marijuana under federal drugs laws, although many…

15 hours ago

Ohio GOP Lawmakers Debate Adult-Use MJ Priorities, Eye June for Regulation Approval

Ohio's recreational market remains in limbo, for now.

15 hours ago

Georgia Governor Signs Bill Establishing Licensing Requirements To Grow Hemp

The governor of Georgia signed a series of bills aimed at bolstering the state’s agriculture…

15 hours ago

Study: Psilocybin Enhances Meditation

For those seeking enlightenment through meditation, psilocybin might do the trick.

15 hours ago

Taylor Swift Puts Narcotics Into All of Her Songs on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

On her latest album, the megastar is more open about substance abuse than ever before.

15 hours ago

MedMen Files for Bankruptcy

The once prominent cannabis company has now entered receivership, and its assets and operations will…

2 days ago