Where to get ladybugs for pest control?

If you are starting out with certain kinds of hydroponics projects, you may be looking at getting “good bugs” to counter the effects of “bad bugs” on your crops. One of the most common insect predators people purchase is ladybugs -- these benign and colorful creatures eat aphids, smaller insects with the ability to devastate different kinds of plants.

Aphids use their mouths to suck fluid out of stems or other parts of a plant. This can leave plants yellow and stunted. Aphids can also leave a sticky substance on plants that can lead to mold and fungal growth. They can also transmit viruses around the garden.

For these reasons, lots of gardeners choose to buy ladybugs to attack aphid populations. While there may be other methods for controlling aphids, such as spraying, ladybugs represent a natural solution that relies on the natural ecosystem, rather than an artificial fix.

Getting Ladybugs

So how do you get a ladybug population into your hydroponic garden?

There are actually a wide range of places to buy ladybugs. You can get various species and various volumes of ladybugs to put into your garden. Of course, if you live in an old farmhouse or other similar kind of residence, you may be able get your ladybugs for free -- because they're already living in rooms of your house! But if you don't have these native insects on hand, you can certainly buy them from any number of suppliers.

One issue with buying ladybugs is figuring out whether you're buying wild-caught ladybugs or farmed ladybugs. Some growers choose to buy from suppliers that farmed the bugs so that they are not supporting the trapping of ladybugs in the wild. On the other hand, some might want wild ladybugs because they have specific concerns about farming practices.

Another question is whether you want ladybug accessories, such as small ladybug houses that some suppliers sell with the ladybug population. Although some experts contend that these structures don't really help with the ladybug populations, there's the idea that you can support ladybugs with specific accessories to get them a more prominent role in your hydroponic garden.

For more on hydroponics supplies, from pest control to irrigation to lighting, and beyond, take a look at Dealzer’s catalog and the resources that we have on our site. With the right gear and equipment and the right grow tips, you can get your money’s worth out of a hydro project.