Grow Q&A: Can I Use Predatory Lacewings to Kill Aphids on My Pot Plants?

Photo by Kent Sea.

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.

Don’t miss our previous Grow Q&A: Help! Mites and Mold Are Killing My Pot Plants!
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