FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Like most of us, beneficial Insects are almost always hungry. So they will go where the food is. Food for them is other insects, usually pests: aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, mealy bugs, thrips, blight, pseudomonas, whitefly, scale on plants, and more. Beneficial insects are carnivores, neither interested in, nor capable of, eating plant material. That’s why releasing an army of hungry Ladybugs or Green Lacewings in your yard is a great way to fight pests without danger to your plants, kids, or pets. And, they will hang around for as long as there is food available in your garden. They will continue to hunt and lay eggs that will hatch into future protectors.

Note: You can increase the effectiveness of Ladybugs by releasing ⅓ of the bugs every 2 to 3 days at sunset, keeping the remainder in the refrigerator to encourage diapause (a bug’s version of hibernation). This prevents them from having to compete for the same food source. See detailed release instructions from the QR code that appears on each label. Easy-to-follow instructions for each beneficial insect are also available on our website.

Did you know that “How to get rid of aphids?” is one of the most frequently searched topics in gardening? At Organic Control, we believe that Beneficial Insects are a great method of aphid control. A combination of beneficial insects such as Green Lacewings and Ladybugs provides a great, natural and organic solution to aphid infestations. This powerful one-two punch kills aphids without harmful chemicals.

Because spider mites are tiny and hard to spot, the sticky mottled appearance of the leaves is a dead giveaway that you have a spider mite infestation. Spider mites wreak havoc on many landscape plants. Initially, you may mistake the spots on the plants for a nutrient deficiency. Spider mites suck the juice from leaves, causing plants to suffer. To make matters worse, they pierce the cell wall at the back of the leaves, causing spotting to appear. A large infestation can decimate a plant. How do you kill spider mites and still have an organic garden? Green Lacewings to the rescue! Green Lacewing larvae are natural predators of the pesky spider mites. Green Lacewings are available in our Ladybug and Lacewing Garden Power Pack, which will provide extra protection from harmful pests in your garden. Predatory Mites are another great solution. Available in small vials like salt shakers, these Predatory Mites go to work, providing natural biological control against two spotted spider mites, broad mites, russet mites, rust mites, red mites, and more.

Pesticides are designed to kill. Just a quick look at a label warning reveals that they are dangerous and will kill most things they touch. Even systemic pesticides – chemicals watered into the ground to be taken up into the plant’s cells – are toxic to bees and other pollinators. You may have heard the term “neonicotinoids” (systemic agricultural insecticides resembling nicotine) having been identified as a possible cause for the current decline in the bee population. Forward-thinking companies like Costco and Home Depot have made an effort to identify and avoid this harmful substance in the products they source.

The use of pesticides would, of course, affect even Beneficial Insects. And once you begin using Beneficial Insects, you will never again be tempted to reach for a can of bug spray! Before introducing Beneficial Insects, check the label on the package of any previously used pesticides to find out how long it takes for the chemical to break down.

If there is food for them to eat (that is, the pests you’re trying to kill – aphids, spider mites, fungus gnats, mealy bugs, thrips, blight, pseudomonas, whitefly), they will stick around. Beneficial Insects such as Praying Mantises and Green Lacewings will stay put, guarding your garden.

Beneficial nematodes inhabit the top two feet of your soil profile. They will quickly rise to the top of the food chain, becoming a long-lasting fixture in your yard, reproducing and improving the ecosystem of the soil with every cycle. When applying Beneficial Nematodes, it may take 10 days or so for you to begin to notice the difference.

Ladybugs, as we know, have wings! You can help keep Ladybugs around by following the instructions on our Ladybugs Tutorial Video — for example, by watering thoroughly before releasing them in the evening. It is also most effective to stage their release over several days, giving them time to explore your yard and to find the food and water they need. And some beneficials, like Green Lacewings and Praying Mantises, are deployed as eggs that hatch into larvae, which don’t fly. So they too will stay in your yard.

Yes and no. Insects, like plants, follow natural seasonal patterns. Some of our Beneficial Insects, like Green Lacewings and Predatory Mites, Trichogramma, Cryptolaemus and Encarsia formosa and Beneficial Nematodes, are either propagated or grown in an insectary and are always available. Other beneficials are collected in the wild when they are plentiful. Ladybugs, for example, are migratory and are available for collection under certain weather conditions during their normal life cycle in December and in late May or early June. Praying Mantises can only be collected as eggs in the winter, so they are usually available December through June. And Mason Bees are collected as pupae in the fall, so they are normally available January through April.

All the Beneficial Insects we sell are compatible with each other and they add to the abundant life in your garden. The only caution is this: if you are deploying trichogramma, miniature wasps that are effective for eliminating caterpillars, don’t expect to find a lot of butterflies in your yard! If you’re interested in propagating monarchs or other butterflies, you’ll just have to enjoy caterpillars feeding in your garden.

Worms are a classic sign of healthy soil. They seem to appear out of nowhere in a shovelful of dark, moist, crumbly soil. Check out this article, WHY WORMS ARE AMONG YOUR GARDEN’S BEST FRIENDS, on our website.

Most of us probably don’t have a worm compost bin sitting in our kitchen (although attractive ones can be found online!). Never fear – worms from Organic Control are available at your local garden center or nursery! Each package contains a half-cup of worms, tucked in a cozy blanket of coconut coir. They are hungry and prolific and will start your garden on its way to growing its own worm population.

The answer to this is that the pests are probably already there… you just haven’t noticed them yet. In general, if Beneficial Insects don’t find anything to eat in your garden, they will simply move on to your neighbor’s yard and look for dinner there. However, as most gardeners know, aphids are almost always available in any garden. While it makes sense to wait to see evidence of pest activity before deploying Beneficial Insects, we find that if you look closely at your plants, you will find harmful pests. Our Ladybug and Lacewing Garden Power Pack is a great one-two punch, as the Ladybugs go to work immediately, and the Green Lacewings follow up when they hatch to continue guarding your garden from pests. Praying Mantises, sometimes referred to as the “Guardians of the Garden,” tend to stay in the area where they hatch, preferring to hunt by ambush instead of seeking out their prey.

Sometimes known as fungus gnats or soil gnats, these tiny creatures resemble mosquitos and may be mistaken for fruit flies. They are mostly harmless but can be quite annoying in indoor plants. They are also notoriously difficult to get rid of. The adult flies, while annoying, won’t feed on your plants. However, they lay eggs on the surface of the soil, and tiny fungus gnat larvae feed on plant roots, which stresses the plant and makes it vulnerable to disease. Since 3 of 4 stages in its life cycle take place in the soil, we recommend you start there to control a fungus gnat infestation.

Our best recommendation is to prevent fungus gnats by not overwatering your plants. Fungus gnats need moist soil to thrive. Be sure you are allowing your plants to fully absorb the water from the last watering before soaking them again.

When introducing a new indoor plant to your home, it’s a good idea to keep it quarantined for three to four days. Knock on the container. If you notice gnats flying near the plant, keep it away from other plants in your house. 

If you have accidentally made a home for fungus gnat larvae by keeping your soil a little too wet, the good news is that Beneficial Nematodes are the ideal solution. Other solutions such as sticky traps, vinegar, diatomaceous earth, and decorative rocks covering the surface of the soil don’t really address the ROOT of the problem. Fungus gnat larvae feed on roots beneath the soil. When the adults emerge, they lay eggs on the soil and perpetuate the annoying cycle. 

Because they are water-borne creatures, Beneficial Nematodes are fierce predators that invade all three stages of a fungus gnat’s life deep within the soil. These microscopic worms penetrate the larvae and release a bacterium that consumes the insect from the inside out. They disrupt and end the life cycle that results in the annoying swarms of adult flying creatures above the plants. Beneficial Nematodes eliminate the infestation before you ever see an adult fungus gnat take to the sky.

There’s nothing more annoying than having an outdoor party interrupted by a swarm of tiny flying gnats in the face of your guests. While harmless to humans, Fungus Gnats are annoying and unsightly – a true party foul!

Beneficial Nematodes are the ideal solution. By deploying Beneficial Nematodes in your yard, you are releasing a legion of live microscopic worms that seek out and destroy Fungus Gnats while they are still in their egg, larval, and pupal stages. 

Fungus gnat larvae feed on roots beneath the soil. When the adults emerge, they lay eggs on the soil and perpetuate the annoying cycle. 

Because they are water-borne creatures, Beneficial Nematodes are fierce predators that invade all three stages of a fungus gnat’s life deep within the soil. These microscopic worms penetrate the larvae and release a bacterium that consumes the insect from the inside out. They disrupt and end the life cycle that results in the annoying swarms of adult flying creatures above the plants. Beneficial Nematodes eliminate the infestation before you ever see an adult fungus gnat take to the sky.

Beneficial nematodes are harmless to humans and animals, and they don’t emit any objectionable odor that may result from chemical solutions, so they are the perfect guardians of your soil.

Beneficial Nematodes start their journey to your home in a refrigerated package. Each box contains a pint-sized container full of vermiculite. Every box includes a specially designed bag along with thorough instructions for how to deploy these beneficial creatures. Click on this Beneficial Nematodes link (also provided as a QR code on the box) for a video demonstration of how to make your own “Nematode Tea” to spray in your garden or pour onto your household plants.

We are so glad that you have joined the pollinator fan club!!! 

  1. Your first step is eliminating the use of harmful chemicals. 
  2. Choose plants that are “pollinator friendly”, usually beautifully flowering native plants that will add the benefit of an attractive garden. Choose a variety of colors and shapes and heights to draw many types of pollinators into your space. Ideally, select plants that flower at alternating times to provide pollen and nectar throughout the seasons.
  3. Try installing a pollinator fountain. Gently-moving water in these beautiful bubbling fountains allows these small and precious creatures to land, sip fresh water, and stay a while.
  4. Provide a nesting location for pollinators like Mason Bees. Our Mason Bee Habitat is easy to install, and it provides the perfect place for these non-stinging super-pollinators to lay their eggs and begin a family in your own backyard.