Yes , this is a thing . When I present the question to a few close gardening friends , I experience either or both of these responses : “ Huh ? ” and “ NO WAY ! ” However , I know someone who does this and says it works .
While natter with a houseplanthoardingcollecting admirer of mine , Johanna , about how masses will do anything to get disembarrass of houseplant pests , she mentioned she had ladybird beetle indoors for pestilence control and had just find a nymph , which showed they were breeding . course , I was intrigued . “ Tell me more ! ” I urged .
It turns out Johanna initially brought some jump wanderer indoors from her garden ; they do n’t build webs and , she says , “ keep to themselves . ” After that , she tell unripe lacewing fly — notorious aphid feeder — but was disappointed when these simply fell . lastly , she ordered 1500 ladybugs ( the minimum ordering from Arbico Organics ) , and after distributing some to friends , released them in her close off flora way / study ( shown above ) . At first , it was a bit upsetting . “ That ’s a metric fuckton of ladybugs in a confined indoor space , ” she notes .
But after a day or two , she report they settle down and got to work . She ’s also introduced a few vulturous mites to moderate wanderer mites on her elephant ear collection . All of these insects were ordered online ( the primary plant / plant life supplies shopping method acting of choice for the new houseplant devotees ) .
Johanna is the first to admit that hers is not a scientific run , but she ’s made some observations that lead her to think at least the ladybugs are forge . She hear a mealybug on her calathea lancifolia only because a group of ladybugs had congregate near it . She ’s also noticed that ladybugs seems especially guide to her hoya compacta , which is bonk to hide pestilence in its curly foliation . in conclusion , she says that the few fungus gnat she had disappeared .
This is all pedantic as far as I am concern . My hubby would search upon a house dirt ball release in the same way he would depend upon welcoming the ten plagues of Egypt .
What about it though ? I did look the Garden Professors Facebook grouping , and could discover no give-and-take of this . It will not surprise many that eco - model Summer Rayne Oaks has talked about thisin her blog , Homestead Brooklyn . ( Oakes has 670 indoor plant . ) And , as many have manoeuver out , we ’re already sharing our homes with more insects than we want to acknowledge .
Photos by Johanna Dominguez
