Aphid Midge (Aphidoletes aphidimyza) will tackle a wide range of aphid species and are particularly useful for controlling aphids in early and late season.
Adults actively hunt for aphid colonies - Once an adult female (around 2mm long) finds a colony she will lay her eggs next to it - The eggs hatch into highly visible orange larvae which feed on the colonies of all types of aphids. Up to 60 different species of aphid. Larvae inject a poison into the aphid to paralyse it and dissolve the body contents.
The larvae take 7-16 days to mature before pupating in soil or compost and adults emerge after 10-14 days.
Orders placed by 10am Monday will be despatched later in the week. The smaller size packs, 250 cocoons are only available March - September.
Further information
How much do I need?
When to use
How to use
Why control aphids?
Aphids suck the sap out of the leaves and stems of the host plants, weakening them and causing distortion to emerging flowers and leaves. Bad Aphid infestations are very debilitating. The buds don't swell fully, and often the flowers and fruit are small. Unchecked an infestation can wipe out seedlings and young plants so it is best to introduce controls for aphids as soon as you find aphids in the garden.
It's not just the physical damage that aphids do, they are thought to be responsible for passing on viruses and other pathogens from plant to plant.
You won't be able to see any holes or bite marks because aphids feed by jabbing their long sharp mouth parts into the soft parts of the plant and sucking out the juices into their body.
Aphids excrete a sticky honeydew which turns black in damp conditions, resulting in sooty mould. This blocks the leaf pores and cuts out light which, in turn can starve the plant by blocking photosynthesis. Early aphid treatment will prevent all these problems.
Identifying Aphids
Aphids are a few mm across, so you should be able to see them easily. Look for little pear-shaped bodies with thin spindly legs and pipes called "cornicles" at the bottom of their abdomen. They don't move around very fast because they are usually in the process of feeding. Look out for aphids from Spring to Autumn, and it's much better to treat for aphids before they build up big colonies.
Some of the more common species found in greenhouses include the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) which vary in colour from pale yellow to green to pinkish-red and the melon or cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) and the black bean aphid (Aphis Fabae). There is also an aphid that specialises in brassicas called the Mealy cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae)
Normally 1 cocoon per metre square, it's best to introduce doses one after the other (separate deliveries) than deploying lots of packs at once.
When the pest is present, adults eat honeydew (the residue from aphid attacks) and thrive best at about 20-26°C. You can use them generally from April to September.
When the short days of autumn arrive the insects slow down and may overwinter as pupae.
The adult life span is 7-10 days, but it might be shorter if there is a lack of honeydew. Dry conditions also shorten life span. Mating usually occurs after sunset or before sunrise or on a fresh and shady place low in the crop.
Tear open the back of the box so the midges can fly away when they are hatched. The box should be in a warm moist place – not too hot and dry. Place the box of cocoons on the ground near the problem plants, or hang it amongst the branches. Usually its best to put them in the shade of a plant and angle the opening so the water can’t fill up the box.