Re: Neps and scale insects..

Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 11 Feb 1995 14:58:52 +0000

> Has anyone ever tried using other insects to destroy eat the
> > scale? The MSU Botany Greenhouse manager uses a bug he dubbed 'The
> > Mealybug Terminator' to eat the scale and mealybugs on the Cycads.
> > Maybe it would work on CP.
>
>
> I have seen these - it is the larva of a ladybird beetle species from
> Australia...

The usual one is called Cryptolaemus, I believe. I am yet to be
convinced that predator insects can be a success in amateur
greenhouses - maybe they are OK on huge comercial monocultures of
e.g. tomatoes.

The predators always seem to have a disadvantage e.g. they
breed slower than the pest unless the temperature is higher than it
is in my greenhouse. In the case of Cryptolaemus, the adult beetles
can fly out of the greenhouse if they have chance.

I'd love to use these if it was certain to work, but you can't wait
for your plants to die while you experiment.

-- 
Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)