In ideal conditions, we would have ladybugs year round; however, because our ladybugs are collected wild, a number of variables means this is not always the case. Often the weather is too hot, cold, dry, or humid in California, where the ladybugs are collected (or 'picked') and we experience a shortage. This happens most often in late May/mid-June in the transition from Spring to Summer crop. Keep an eye on the front page of the site where updates on our ladybug stock are posted.

Each bag of ladybugs comes with a date stamped on the bag, ~a month from when you receive them. We recommend putting out a portion of your ladybugs right away, storing the rest in the fridge for a couple weeks, then putting out the rest to follow up after the first application.

No, we do not. There is no one who grows or raises ladybugs; instead, they are collected wild as adults from California and sent directly to us.

No, we do not. All we sell are adult ladybugs, but in the right environment, the ladybugs will breed and lay their eggs on the plants; then the larvae hatch on your plants. Look out for ladybugs’ yellow, football-shaped eggs sticking up from the leaves of your plant.

We get this question a lot - the answer? Usually not. Ladybugs are generalists, meaning they will eat a large number of different pests under various circumstances. This, however, doesn't negate the fact that ladybugs' preferred food is aphids. So if ladybugs believe they will find aphids elsewhere, they will likely move on from your spider mite infestation. If you do have spider mites, check out our page here to read up on our predatory mite recommendations for spider mite control.

We recommend that you release ladybugs at dusk when they are least active. Mist your plants and the inside of the ladybug bag before releasing them, as this will encourage them to stick around. You can also put out a dish of sugar water, apple cores, raisins - anything high in sugar will attract the ladybugs.

In order for ladybugs to effectively control aphids, the ants must be taken care of, as ants farm aphids in order to feed on aphid-produced honeydew. We recommend that you put out ant traps before introducing any biological aphid controls. The ant traps that can be purchased at your local Home Depot, Canadian Tire, or any hardware store should be all you need.

If there are pests present, no. Predatory mites are quick, and if there is easier prey, such as whichever pest you are targeting - spider mite, thrip, whitefly, aphids - the ladybugs will feed on the slow-moving pest instead. If you find that ladybugs are eating into beneficial mite populations, this is a sign that your pest numbers have become so low that the ladybugs have no other options.

These are likely ladybug nymphs, which love eating aphids! You can see a photo of them here, along with a photo of ladybug eggs here. This is a good sign, as it shows that the ladybugs you purchased from us are reproducing and establishing a population to fight pests.

Begin with purchasing adult ladybugs directly from us. We suggest that you set up an aquarium-like habitat for them with a mesh roof. Of course, you would need to find plant material to serve as a habitat, and a food source for the ladybugs (preferably plants that are covered with aphids! If you can’t find any, try inquiring at a local nursery). A small dish of sugar water and an apple core will also help keep the ladybugs happy. Once the adult ladybugs have been released, they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. These eggs will then hatch into larvae and students/kids can watch the entire life cycle, which takes approximately 2-4 weeks.

Anystis is already being used for both generalist preventative applications against pests as diverse as whitefly, red mites, and psyllids and to wipe out (or prevent) known pests like thrips, aphids and spider mites.

Application rates are variable. 1 mite per square foot may be appropriate for both preventative and knockdown depending on environment, plants and prey. Generally, as a starting point, it is recommended that 0.25 mites be applied per square foot for prevention and 2 mite per square foot or more for corrective rates. However, contacting us directly will help us work with you to determine more individually-catered rates of application, tailored to your growing area.

Anystis does not have a long shelf life. Upon recieving your order, we reccomend putting the product out within 3-4 days. Anystis is shipped with food in the bottle.

Since Anystis is a generalist it will stick around for a long time as they will find a variety of pests to feed on. If there is not a hot spot they will spread out, going to other plants to find a food source.

We recommend using Anystis alongside another product. For example if you are treating Aphids we would recommend using Aphidoletes and Anystis together, as it will be more proactive fighting against the pest, helping to get the numbers under control faster. Aphid control is best achieved with preventative applications of Crazee Mites as needed, and regular preventative releases of Aphidoletes every three weeks during peak aphid season. Spider mite control is best with Neoseiulus fallacis introduced preventatively at a rate of 2 mites per square foot, followed by a Crazee Mite Application of 0.25 mites per square foot. Thrips Control is best achieved with an introductory rate of Crazee Mites (0.25 mites per square foot) and reapplied as needed, with regular releases of Neoseiulus cucumeris every 4-5 weeks or as needed.

Anystis lifecycle is relatively long. Eggs hatch into larval stages and then three nymph stages before reaching adult hood 3-4 weeks later. All stages are predatory and all mites are female. Eggs will be laid by adults for three weeks. They are typically laid in loose growing media and in small clusters of 15-30 eggs, several times during the adult stage.

All mites are female and all mobile stages of Anystis baccarum are predatory. The adults will immediately begin laying eggs and are capable of eating hundreds of prey daily. Eggs are laid in leaf-litter or loose, consistently humid growing media, making cycling possible in most crops. Some others may require regular reapplications.

When applying Anystis you want to be mindful to not disturb the product too much, as they can be fragile when in pupal stage. You want to set the container in a central spot of an infestation, or if treating a hot spot, place the container directly close to the problem. If you are splitting the product between two places, place half of the product in a dixie cup and let the Anystis come out of the cup as it is ready.

You may have heard anecdotally from other sources that ladybugs are a good spider mite control; however, ladybugs do not feed primarily on spider mites. We don’t actively recommend them for spider mite control because if there are other food sources available, they will ignore the spider mites and move on. Stethorus beetle, one of the bugs we do advertise for spider mite control, is actually a relative of ladybugs, and is what should be recommended instead of ladybugs. They are a far more effective spider mite predator than ladybugs specifically.

We recommend using a combination of three products: persimilis, fallacis, and stethorus. You can read more about those products here.

It depends on where your crop is at, as well as how far along the infestation is. Persimilis will actually travel into webbing to feed on spider mites, so if your infestation is bad, persimilis are a must. If you are having trouble meeting the humidity requirement for persimilis (a constant humidity of at least 60% is required when persimilis are present as their eggs will dry out in anything less), you may want to consider using the ladybugs' relative stethorus. While it is more expensive, they are more hardy and excellent at seeking spider mites. If you can get both, do it. Fallacis is a great preventative mite, as they feed on more than just spider mites, while persimilis and stethorus will die off without the spider mites present. Fallacis can survive on pollen, and will also feed on bamboo mites, spruce spider mite, and more. If you are worried about a possible spider mite infestation, or are starting a new room, fallacis are a great idea as they will stick around for the life of the crop. They are also great to introduce alongside persimilis and stethorus, and will not compete with them.

The most particular mite that we sell is the persimilis; This mite does require a humidity of at least 60% because without it, the eggs will dry out and the second generation of mites will not survive. Fallacis and stethorus are more hardy. As a general rule with all our products, you want to be very careful with introducing beneficial bugs if you have any sort of pesticide, soap, or essential oils history. Most (if not all) pesticides are incompatible with our bugs. If you've recently applied a commercial soap or oil product (like Neem Oil), we recommend waiting at least a week before introducing any beneficial bugs.

The best way to see the mites is: Upon receiving them, pour a small amount of the mite carrier onto a white piece of paper and look for movement with the naked eye or a light magnifier. Another way to see the mites is to open the bottle and look on the rim and paper filter on the lid, where it should be easier to see them. Persimilis are a bit easier to spot on the plant themselves due to their orange-y colour.

If you want to try californicus, we can sell it to you. But, as opposed to the products produced by Applied Bio-nomics, these are produced overseas and likely have been refrigerated rather than produced fresh to ship to you. As well, calfornicus will feed on persimilis mites, and therefore is not compatible with our usual recommended spider mite strategy.

Fallacis is shipped with food in the container, so it can be stored for up to 1 week upon receiving; However, we do recommend releasing it sooner than later. If you are not releasing Fallacis right away, store it 10 degrees celsius. Persimilis is shipped with no food in the container, so we recommend realesing it right away, once you have recieved your order.

Due to the potential large size of mature female mantids, they have occasionally been observed eating small vertebrates in the United States, (small reptiles, amphibians and rarely, even hummingbirds) but these are rare occurrences that do not have a significant impact on the populations of those species. The hunting activities of domestic cats and dogs, disturbed habitats, and/or climate change each individually have much larger impacts on the populations of these species. Because we are selling these in the summer they will never get to their full size as adults and get to the point where they are a worry for small vertebrates. And with our shorter growing season and earlier frosts they do not have enough time to grow large enough to mature, mate and lay eggs. They are not a threat, in Canada, to our one native species that occurs here, (which lives in the Okanagan region of BC), which does manage to mature and lay eggs in overwintering ootheca (egg cases). The mantids are just another tool for gardeners to use to keep down numbers of pests (especially aphids) that proliferate over summer and then fade out as autumn approaches. They offer another choice instead of having to look to insecticides for pest control. I love how the Buckerfields’ advertisement has ladybugs and mantids displayed prominently on page 2 of its flyer – one must flip past these to get to the chemical choices.”

Each praying mantis egg case can produce 50-200 juvenile mantids, and can take 2-6 weeks to hatch.

Praying Mantis feed on aphids, beetles, caterpillars, chinch bugs, Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, hornworms, leafrollers, squash bugs, thrips and whiteflies. They start off feeding on fruit flies and other tiny insects and as they grow so does their prey.

Egg cases be attached to a plant about a foot or two off the ground. Once hatching commences, all praying mantis will hatch within about one hour. When hatching, the young crawl from between tiny flaps in the cases and hang from silken threads about 2" below the case. After drying out, the long-legged young disperse quickly into the vegetation as they are cannibalistic. It's very difficult to know hatching has occurred unless the elusive, well camouflaged young are found. (The egg case does not change appearance in any way).

In ideal conditions, we would have ladybugs year round; however, because our ladybugs are collected wild, a number of variables means this is not always the case. Often the weather is too hot, cold, dry, or humid in California, where the ladybugs are collected (or 'picked') and we experience a shortage. This happens most often in late May/mid-June in the transition from Spring to Summer crop. Keep an eye on the front page of the site where updates on our ladybug stock are posted.

Each bag of ladybugs comes with a date stamped on the bag, ~a month from when you receive them. We recommend putting out a portion of your ladybugs right away, storing the rest in the fridge for a couple weeks, then putting out the rest to follow up after the first application.

No, we do not. There is no one who grows or raises ladybugs; instead, they are collected wild as adults from California and sent directly to us.

No, we do not. All we sell are adult ladybugs, but in the right environment, the ladybugs will breed and lay their eggs on the plants; then the larvae hatch on your plants. Look out for ladybugs’ yellow, football-shaped eggs sticking up from the leaves of your plant.

We get this question a lot - the answer? Usually not. Ladybugs are generalists, meaning they will eat a large number of different pests under various circumstances. This, however, doesn't negate the fact that ladybugs' preferred food is aphids. So if ladybugs believe they will find aphids elsewhere, they will likely move on from your spider mite infestation. If you do have spider mites, check out our page here to read up on our predatory mite recommendations for spider mite control.

We recommend that you release ladybugs at dusk when they are least active. Mist your plants and the inside of the ladybug bag before releasing them, as this will encourage them to stick around. You can also put out a dish of sugar water, apple cores, raisins - anything high in sugar will attract the ladybugs.

In order for ladybugs to effectively control aphids, the ants must be taken care of, as ants farm aphids in order to feed on aphid-produced honeydew. We recommend that you put out ant traps before introducing any biological aphid controls. The ant traps that can be purchased at your local Home Depot, Canadian Tire, or any hardware store should be all you need.

If there are pests present, no. Predatory mites are quick, and if there is easier prey, such as whichever pest you are targeting - spider mite, thrip, whitefly, aphids - the ladybugs will feed on the slow-moving pest instead. If you find that ladybugs are eating into beneficial mite populations, this is a sign that your pest numbers have become so low that the ladybugs have no other options.

These are likely ladybug nymphs, which love eating aphids! You can see a photo of them here, along with a photo of ladybug eggs here. This is a good sign, as it shows that the ladybugs you purchased from us are reproducing and establishing a population to fight pests.

Begin with purchasing adult ladybugs directly from us. We suggest that you set up an aquarium-like habitat for them with a mesh roof. Of course, you would need to find plant material to serve as a habitat, and a food source for the ladybugs (preferably plants that are covered with aphids! If you can’t find any, try inquiring at a local nursery). A small dish of sugar water and an apple core will also help keep the ladybugs happy. Once the adult ladybugs have been released, they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. These eggs will then hatch into larvae and students/kids can watch the entire life cycle, which takes approximately 2-4 weeks.

Anystis is already being used for both generalist preventative applications against pests as diverse as whitefly, red mites, and psyllids and to wipe out (or prevent) known pests like thrips, aphids and spider mites.

Application rates are variable. 1 mite per square foot may be appropriate for both preventative and knockdown depending on environment, plants and prey. Generally, as a starting point, it is recommended that 0.25 mites be applied per square foot for prevention and 2 mite per square foot or more for corrective rates. However, contacting us directly will help us work with you to determine more individually-catered rates of application, tailored to your growing area.

Anystis does not have a long shelf life. Upon recieving your order, we reccomend putting the product out within 3-4 days. Anystis is shipped with food in the bottle.

Since Anystis is a generalist it will stick around for a long time as they will find a variety of pests to feed on. If there is not a hot spot they will spread out, going to other plants to find a food source.

We recommend using Anystis alongside another product. For example if you are treating Aphids we would recommend using Aphidoletes and Anystis together, as it will be more proactive fighting against the pest, helping to get the numbers under control faster. Aphid control is best achieved with preventative applications of Crazee Mites as needed, and regular preventative releases of Aphidoletes every three weeks during peak aphid season. Spider mite control is best with Neoseiulus fallacis introduced preventatively at a rate of 2 mites per square foot, followed by a Crazee Mite Application of 0.25 mites per square foot. Thrips Control is best achieved with an introductory rate of Crazee Mites (0.25 mites per square foot) and reapplied as needed, with regular releases of Neoseiulus cucumeris every 4-5 weeks or as needed.

Anystis lifecycle is relatively long. Eggs hatch into larval stages and then three nymph stages before reaching adult hood 3-4 weeks later. All stages are predatory and all mites are female. Eggs will be laid by adults for three weeks. They are typically laid in loose growing media and in small clusters of 15-30 eggs, several times during the adult stage.

All mites are female and all mobile stages of Anystis baccarum are predatory. The adults will immediately begin laying eggs and are capable of eating hundreds of prey daily. Eggs are laid in leaf-litter or loose, consistently humid growing media, making cycling possible in most crops. Some others may require regular reapplications.

When applying Anystis you want to be mindful to not disturb the product too much, as they can be fragile when in pupal stage. You want to set the container in a central spot of an infestation, or if treating a hot spot, place the container directly close to the problem. If you are splitting the product between two places, place half of the product in a dixie cup and let the Anystis come out of the cup as it is ready.

You may have heard anecdotally from other sources that ladybugs are a good spider mite control; however, ladybugs do not feed primarily on spider mites. We don’t actively recommend them for spider mite control because if there are other food sources available, they will ignore the spider mites and move on. Stethorus beetle, one of the bugs we do advertise for spider mite control, is actually a relative of ladybugs, and is what should be recommended instead of ladybugs. They are a far more effective spider mite predator than ladybugs specifically.

We recommend using a combination of three products: persimilis, fallacis, and stethorus. You can read more about those products here.

It depends on where your crop is at, as well as how far along the infestation is. Persimilis will actually travel into webbing to feed on spider mites, so if your infestation is bad, persimilis are a must. If you are having trouble meeting the humidity requirement for persimilis (a constant humidity of at least 60% is required when persimilis are present as their eggs will dry out in anything less), you may want to consider using the ladybugs' relative stethorus. While it is more expensive, they are more hardy and excellent at seeking spider mites. If you can get both, do it. Fallacis is a great preventative mite, as they feed on more than just spider mites, while persimilis and stethorus will die off without the spider mites present. Fallacis can survive on pollen, and will also feed on bamboo mites, spruce spider mite, and more. If you are worried about a possible spider mite infestation, or are starting a new room, fallacis are a great idea as they will stick around for the life of the crop. They are also great to introduce alongside persimilis and stethorus, and will not compete with them.

The most particular mite that we sell is the persimilis; This mite does require a humidity of at least 60% because without it, the eggs will dry out and the second generation of mites will not survive. Fallacis and stethorus are more hardy. As a general rule with all our products, you want to be very careful with introducing beneficial bugs if you have any sort of pesticide, soap, or essential oils history. Most (if not all) pesticides are incompatible with our bugs. If you've recently applied a commercial soap or oil product (like Neem Oil), we recommend waiting at least a week before introducing any beneficial bugs.

The best way to see the mites is: Upon receiving them, pour a small amount of the mite carrier onto a white piece of paper and look for movement with the naked eye or a light magnifier. Another way to see the mites is to open the bottle and look on the rim and paper filter on the lid, where it should be easier to see them. Persimilis are a bit easier to spot on the plant themselves due to their orange-y colour.

If you want to try californicus, we can sell it to you. But, as opposed to the products produced by Applied Bio-nomics, these are produced overseas and likely have been refrigerated rather than produced fresh to ship to you. As well, calfornicus will feed on persimilis mites, and therefore is not compatible with our usual recommended spider mite strategy.

Fallacis is shipped with food in the container, so it can be stored for up to 1 week upon receiving; However, we do recommend releasing it sooner than later. If you are not releasing Fallacis right away, store it 10 degrees celsius. Persimilis is shipped with no food in the container, so we recommend realesing it right away, once you have recieved your order.

Due to the potential large size of mature female mantids, they have occasionally been observed eating small vertebrates in the United States, (small reptiles, amphibians and rarely, even hummingbirds) but these are rare occurrences that do not have a significant impact on the populations of those species. The hunting activities of domestic cats and dogs, disturbed habitats, and/or climate change each individually have much larger impacts on the populations of these species. Because we are selling these in the summer they will never get to their full size as adults and get to the point where they are a worry for small vertebrates. And with our shorter growing season and earlier frosts they do not have enough time to grow large enough to mature, mate and lay eggs. They are not a threat, in Canada, to our one native species that occurs here, (which lives in the Okanagan region of BC), which does manage to mature and lay eggs in overwintering ootheca (egg cases). The mantids are just another tool for gardeners to use to keep down numbers of pests (especially aphids) that proliferate over summer and then fade out as autumn approaches. They offer another choice instead of having to look to insecticides for pest control. I love how the Buckerfields’ advertisement has ladybugs and mantids displayed prominently on page 2 of its flyer – one must flip past these to get to the chemical choices.”

Each praying mantis egg case can produce 50-200 juvenile mantids, and can take 2-6 weeks to hatch.

Praying Mantis feed on aphids, beetles, caterpillars, chinch bugs, Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, hornworms, leafrollers, squash bugs, thrips and whiteflies. They start off feeding on fruit flies and other tiny insects and as they grow so does their prey.

Egg cases be attached to a plant about a foot or two off the ground. Once hatching commences, all praying mantis will hatch within about one hour. When hatching, the young crawl from between tiny flaps in the cases and hang from silken threads about 2" below the case. After drying out, the long-legged young disperse quickly into the vegetation as they are cannibalistic. It's very difficult to know hatching has occurred unless the elusive, well camouflaged young are found. (The egg case does not change appearance in any way).

In ideal conditions, we would have ladybugs year round; however, because our ladybugs are collected wild, a number of variables means this is not always the case. Often the weather is too hot, cold, dry, or humid in California, where the ladybugs are collected (or 'picked') and we experience a shortage. This happens most often in late May/mid-June in the transition from Spring to Summer crop. Keep an eye on the front page of the site where updates on our ladybug stock are posted.

Each bag of ladybugs comes with a date stamped on the bag, ~a month from when you receive them. We recommend putting out a portion of your ladybugs right away, storing the rest in the fridge for a couple weeks, then putting out the rest to follow up after the first application.

No, we do not. There is no one who grows or raises ladybugs; instead, they are collected wild as adults from California and sent directly to us.

No, we do not. All we sell are adult ladybugs, but in the right environment, the ladybugs will breed and lay their eggs on the plants; then the larvae hatch on your plants. Look out for ladybugs’ yellow, football-shaped eggs sticking up from the leaves of your plant.

We get this question a lot - the answer? Usually not. Ladybugs are generalists, meaning they will eat a large number of different pests under various circumstances. This, however, doesn't negate the fact that ladybugs' preferred food is aphids. So if ladybugs believe they will find aphids elsewhere, they will likely move on from your spider mite infestation. If you do have spider mites, check out our page here to read up on our predatory mite recommendations for spider mite control.

We recommend that you release ladybugs at dusk when they are least active. Mist your plants and the inside of the ladybug bag before releasing them, as this will encourage them to stick around. You can also put out a dish of sugar water, apple cores, raisins - anything high in sugar will attract the ladybugs.

In order for ladybugs to effectively control aphids, the ants must be taken care of, as ants farm aphids in order to feed on aphid-produced honeydew. We recommend that you put out ant traps before introducing any biological aphid controls. The ant traps that can be purchased at your local Home Depot, Canadian Tire, or any hardware store should be all you need.

If there are pests present, no. Predatory mites are quick, and if there is easier prey, such as whichever pest you are targeting - spider mite, thrip, whitefly, aphids - the ladybugs will feed on the slow-moving pest instead. If you find that ladybugs are eating into beneficial mite populations, this is a sign that your pest numbers have become so low that the ladybugs have no other options.

These are likely ladybug nymphs, which love eating aphids! You can see a photo of them here, along with a photo of ladybug eggs here. This is a good sign, as it shows that the ladybugs you purchased from us are reproducing and establishing a population to fight pests.

Begin with purchasing adult ladybugs directly from us. We suggest that you set up an aquarium-like habitat for them with a mesh roof. Of course, you would need to find plant material to serve as a habitat, and a food source for the ladybugs (preferably plants that are covered with aphids! If you can’t find any, try inquiring at a local nursery). A small dish of sugar water and an apple core will also help keep the ladybugs happy. Once the adult ladybugs have been released, they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. These eggs will then hatch into larvae and students/kids can watch the entire life cycle, which takes approximately 2-4 weeks.

Anystis is already being used for both generalist preventative applications against pests as diverse as whitefly, red mites, and psyllids and to wipe out (or prevent) known pests like thrips, aphids and spider mites.

Application rates are variable. 1 mite per square foot may be appropriate for both preventative and knockdown depending on environment, plants and prey. Generally, as a starting point, it is recommended that 0.25 mites be applied per square foot for prevention and 2 mite per square foot or more for corrective rates. However, contacting us directly will help us work with you to determine more individually-catered rates of application, tailored to your growing area.

Anystis does not have a long shelf life. Upon recieving your order, we reccomend putting the product out within 3-4 days. Anystis is shipped with food in the bottle.

Since Anystis is a generalist it will stick around for a long time as they will find a variety of pests to feed on. If there is not a hot spot they will spread out, going to other plants to find a food source.

We recommend using Anystis alongside another product. For example if you are treating Aphids we would recommend using Aphidoletes and Anystis together, as it will be more proactive fighting against the pest, helping to get the numbers under control faster. Aphid control is best achieved with preventative applications of Crazee Mites as needed, and regular preventative releases of Aphidoletes every three weeks during peak aphid season. Spider mite control is best with Neoseiulus fallacis introduced preventatively at a rate of 2 mites per square foot, followed by a Crazee Mite Application of 0.25 mites per square foot. Thrips Control is best achieved with an introductory rate of Crazee Mites (0.25 mites per square foot) and reapplied as needed, with regular releases of Neoseiulus cucumeris every 4-5 weeks or as needed.

Anystis lifecycle is relatively long. Eggs hatch into larval stages and then three nymph stages before reaching adult hood 3-4 weeks later. All stages are predatory and all mites are female. Eggs will be laid by adults for three weeks. They are typically laid in loose growing media and in small clusters of 15-30 eggs, several times during the adult stage.

All mites are female and all mobile stages of Anystis baccarum are predatory. The adults will immediately begin laying eggs and are capable of eating hundreds of prey daily. Eggs are laid in leaf-litter or loose, consistently humid growing media, making cycling possible in most crops. Some others may require regular reapplications.

When applying Anystis you want to be mindful to not disturb the product too much, as they can be fragile when in pupal stage. You want to set the container in a central spot of an infestation, or if treating a hot spot, place the container directly close to the problem. If you are splitting the product between two places, place half of the product in a dixie cup and let the Anystis come out of the cup as it is ready.

You may have heard anecdotally from other sources that ladybugs are a good spider mite control; however, ladybugs do not feed primarily on spider mites. We don’t actively recommend them for spider mite control because if there are other food sources available, they will ignore the spider mites and move on. Stethorus beetle, one of the bugs we do advertise for spider mite control, is actually a relative of ladybugs, and is what should be recommended instead of ladybugs. They are a far more effective spider mite predator than ladybugs specifically.

We recommend using a combination of three products: persimilis, fallacis, and stethorus. You can read more about those products here.

It depends on where your crop is at, as well as how far along the infestation is. Persimilis will actually travel into webbing to feed on spider mites, so if your infestation is bad, persimilis are a must. If you are having trouble meeting the humidity requirement for persimilis (a constant humidity of at least 60% is required when persimilis are present as their eggs will dry out in anything less), you may want to consider using the ladybugs' relative stethorus. While it is more expensive, they are more hardy and excellent at seeking spider mites. If you can get both, do it. Fallacis is a great preventative mite, as they feed on more than just spider mites, while persimilis and stethorus will die off without the spider mites present. Fallacis can survive on pollen, and will also feed on bamboo mites, spruce spider mite, and more. If you are worried about a possible spider mite infestation, or are starting a new room, fallacis are a great idea as they will stick around for the life of the crop. They are also great to introduce alongside persimilis and stethorus, and will not compete with them.

The most particular mite that we sell is the persimilis; This mite does require a humidity of at least 60% because without it, the eggs will dry out and the second generation of mites will not survive. Fallacis and stethorus are more hardy. As a general rule with all our products, you want to be very careful with introducing beneficial bugs if you have any sort of pesticide, soap, or essential oils history. Most (if not all) pesticides are incompatible with our bugs. If you've recently applied a commercial soap or oil product (like Neem Oil), we recommend waiting at least a week before introducing any beneficial bugs.

The best way to see the mites is: Upon receiving them, pour a small amount of the mite carrier onto a white piece of paper and look for movement with the naked eye or a light magnifier. Another way to see the mites is to open the bottle and look on the rim and paper filter on the lid, where it should be easier to see them. Persimilis are a bit easier to spot on the plant themselves due to their orange-y colour.

If you want to try californicus, we can sell it to you. But, as opposed to the products produced by Applied Bio-nomics, these are produced overseas and likely have been refrigerated rather than produced fresh to ship to you. As well, calfornicus will feed on persimilis mites, and therefore is not compatible with our usual recommended spider mite strategy.

Fallacis is shipped with food in the container, so it can be stored for up to 1 week upon receiving; However, we do recommend releasing it sooner than later. If you are not releasing Fallacis right away, store it 10 degrees celsius. Persimilis is shipped with no food in the container, so we recommend realesing it right away, once you have recieved your order.

Due to the potential large size of mature female mantids, they have occasionally been observed eating small vertebrates in the United States, (small reptiles, amphibians and rarely, even hummingbirds) but these are rare occurrences that do not have a significant impact on the populations of those species. The hunting activities of domestic cats and dogs, disturbed habitats, and/or climate change each individually have much larger impacts on the populations of these species. Because we are selling these in the summer they will never get to their full size as adults and get to the point where they are a worry for small vertebrates. And with our shorter growing season and earlier frosts they do not have enough time to grow large enough to mature, mate and lay eggs. They are not a threat, in Canada, to our one native species that occurs here, (which lives in the Okanagan region of BC), which does manage to mature and lay eggs in overwintering ootheca (egg cases). The mantids are just another tool for gardeners to use to keep down numbers of pests (especially aphids) that proliferate over summer and then fade out as autumn approaches. They offer another choice instead of having to look to insecticides for pest control. I love how the Buckerfields’ advertisement has ladybugs and mantids displayed prominently on page 2 of its flyer – one must flip past these to get to the chemical choices.”

Each praying mantis egg case can produce 50-200 juvenile mantids, and can take 2-6 weeks to hatch.

Praying Mantis feed on aphids, beetles, caterpillars, chinch bugs, Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, hornworms, leafrollers, squash bugs, thrips and whiteflies. They start off feeding on fruit flies and other tiny insects and as they grow so does their prey.

Egg cases be attached to a plant about a foot or two off the ground. Once hatching commences, all praying mantis will hatch within about one hour. When hatching, the young crawl from between tiny flaps in the cases and hang from silken threads about 2" below the case. After drying out, the long-legged young disperse quickly into the vegetation as they are cannibalistic. It's very difficult to know hatching has occurred unless the elusive, well camouflaged young are found. (The egg case does not change appearance in any way).

In ideal conditions, we would have ladybugs year round; however, because our ladybugs are collected wild, a number of variables means this is not always the case. Often the weather is too hot, cold, dry, or humid in California, where the ladybugs are collected (or 'picked') and we experience a shortage. This happens most often in late May/mid-June in the transition from Spring to Summer crop. Keep an eye on the front page of the site where updates on our ladybug stock are posted.

Each bag of ladybugs comes with a date stamped on the bag, ~a month from when you receive them. We recommend putting out a portion of your ladybugs right away, storing the rest in the fridge for a couple weeks, then putting out the rest to follow up after the first application.

No, we do not. There is no one who grows or raises ladybugs; instead, they are collected wild as adults from California and sent directly to us.

No, we do not. All we sell are adult ladybugs, but in the right environment, the ladybugs will breed and lay their eggs on the plants; then the larvae hatch on your plants. Look out for ladybugs’ yellow, football-shaped eggs sticking up from the leaves of your plant.

We get this question a lot - the answer? Usually not. Ladybugs are generalists, meaning they will eat a large number of different pests under various circumstances. This, however, doesn't negate the fact that ladybugs' preferred food is aphids. So if ladybugs believe they will find aphids elsewhere, they will likely move on from your spider mite infestation. If you do have spider mites, check out our page here to read up on our predatory mite recommendations for spider mite control.

We recommend that you release ladybugs at dusk when they are least active. Mist your plants and the inside of the ladybug bag before releasing them, as this will encourage them to stick around. You can also put out a dish of sugar water, apple cores, raisins - anything high in sugar will attract the ladybugs.

In order for ladybugs to effectively control aphids, the ants must be taken care of, as ants farm aphids in order to feed on aphid-produced honeydew. We recommend that you put out ant traps before introducing any biological aphid controls. The ant traps that can be purchased at your local Home Depot, Canadian Tire, or any hardware store should be all you need.

If there are pests present, no. Predatory mites are quick, and if there is easier prey, such as whichever pest you are targeting - spider mite, thrip, whitefly, aphids - the ladybugs will feed on the slow-moving pest instead. If you find that ladybugs are eating into beneficial mite populations, this is a sign that your pest numbers have become so low that the ladybugs have no other options.

These are likely ladybug nymphs, which love eating aphids! You can see a photo of them here, along with a photo of ladybug eggs here. This is a good sign, as it shows that the ladybugs you purchased from us are reproducing and establishing a population to fight pests.

Begin with purchasing adult ladybugs directly from us. We suggest that you set up an aquarium-like habitat for them with a mesh roof. Of course, you would need to find plant material to serve as a habitat, and a food source for the ladybugs (preferably plants that are covered with aphids! If you can’t find any, try inquiring at a local nursery). A small dish of sugar water and an apple core will also help keep the ladybugs happy. Once the adult ladybugs have been released, they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. These eggs will then hatch into larvae and students/kids can watch the entire life cycle, which takes approximately 2-4 weeks.

Anystis is already being used for both generalist preventative applications against pests as diverse as whitefly, red mites, and psyllids and to wipe out (or prevent) known pests like thrips, aphids and spider mites.

Application rates are variable. 1 mite per square foot may be appropriate for both preventative and knockdown depending on environment, plants and prey. Generally, as a starting point, it is recommended that 0.25 mites be applied per square foot for prevention and 2 mite per square foot or more for corrective rates. However, contacting us directly will help us work with you to determine more individually-catered rates of application, tailored to your growing area.

Anystis does not have a long shelf life. Upon recieving your order, we reccomend putting the product out within 3-4 days. Anystis is shipped with food in the bottle.

Since Anystis is a generalist it will stick around for a long time as they will find a variety of pests to feed on. If there is not a hot spot they will spread out, going to other plants to find a food source.

We recommend using Anystis alongside another product. For example if you are treating Aphids we would recommend using Aphidoletes and Anystis together, as it will be more proactive fighting against the pest, helping to get the numbers under control faster. Aphid control is best achieved with preventative applications of Crazee Mites as needed, and regular preventative releases of Aphidoletes every three weeks during peak aphid season. Spider mite control is best with Neoseiulus fallacis introduced preventatively at a rate of 2 mites per square foot, followed by a Crazee Mite Application of 0.25 mites per square foot. Thrips Control is best achieved with an introductory rate of Crazee Mites (0.25 mites per square foot) and reapplied as needed, with regular releases of Neoseiulus cucumeris every 4-5 weeks or as needed.

Anystis lifecycle is relatively long. Eggs hatch into larval stages and then three nymph stages before reaching adult hood 3-4 weeks later. All stages are predatory and all mites are female. Eggs will be laid by adults for three weeks. They are typically laid in loose growing media and in small clusters of 15-30 eggs, several times during the adult stage.

All mites are female and all mobile stages of Anystis baccarum are predatory. The adults will immediately begin laying eggs and are capable of eating hundreds of prey daily. Eggs are laid in leaf-litter or loose, consistently humid growing media, making cycling possible in most crops. Some others may require regular reapplications.

When applying Anystis you want to be mindful to not disturb the product too much, as they can be fragile when in pupal stage. You want to set the container in a central spot of an infestation, or if treating a hot spot, place the container directly close to the problem. If you are splitting the product between two places, place half of the product in a dixie cup and let the Anystis come out of the cup as it is ready.

You may have heard anecdotally from other sources that ladybugs are a good spider mite control; however, ladybugs do not feed primarily on spider mites. We don’t actively recommend them for spider mite control because if there are other food sources available, they will ignore the spider mites and move on. Stethorus beetle, one of the bugs we do advertise for spider mite control, is actually a relative of ladybugs, and is what should be recommended instead of ladybugs. They are a far more effective spider mite predator than ladybugs specifically.

We recommend using a combination of three products: persimilis, fallacis, and stethorus. You can read more about those products here.

It depends on where your crop is at, as well as how far along the infestation is. Persimilis will actually travel into webbing to feed on spider mites, so if your infestation is bad, persimilis are a must. If you are having trouble meeting the humidity requirement for persimilis (a constant humidity of at least 60% is required when persimilis are present as their eggs will dry out in anything less), you may want to consider using the ladybugs' relative stethorus. While it is more expensive, they are more hardy and excellent at seeking spider mites. If you can get both, do it. Fallacis is a great preventative mite, as they feed on more than just spider mites, while persimilis and stethorus will die off without the spider mites present. Fallacis can survive on pollen, and will also feed on bamboo mites, spruce spider mite, and more. If you are worried about a possible spider mite infestation, or are starting a new room, fallacis are a great idea as they will stick around for the life of the crop. They are also great to introduce alongside persimilis and stethorus, and will not compete with them.

The most particular mite that we sell is the persimilis; This mite does require a humidity of at least 60% because without it, the eggs will dry out and the second generation of mites will not survive. Fallacis and stethorus are more hardy. As a general rule with all our products, you want to be very careful with introducing beneficial bugs if you have any sort of pesticide, soap, or essential oils history. Most (if not all) pesticides are incompatible with our bugs. If you've recently applied a commercial soap or oil product (like Neem Oil), we recommend waiting at least a week before introducing any beneficial bugs.

The best way to see the mites is: Upon receiving them, pour a small amount of the mite carrier onto a white piece of paper and look for movement with the naked eye or a light magnifier. Another way to see the mites is to open the bottle and look on the rim and paper filter on the lid, where it should be easier to see them. Persimilis are a bit easier to spot on the plant themselves due to their orange-y colour.

If you want to try californicus, we can sell it to you. But, as opposed to the products produced by Applied Bio-nomics, these are produced overseas and likely have been refrigerated rather than produced fresh to ship to you. As well, calfornicus will feed on persimilis mites, and therefore is not compatible with our usual recommended spider mite strategy.

Fallacis is shipped with food in the container, so it can be stored for up to 1 week upon receiving; However, we do recommend releasing it sooner than later. If you are not releasing Fallacis right away, store it 10 degrees celsius. Persimilis is shipped with no food in the container, so we recommend realesing it right away, once you have recieved your order.

Due to the potential large size of mature female mantids, they have occasionally been observed eating small vertebrates in the United States, (small reptiles, amphibians and rarely, even hummingbirds) but these are rare occurrences that do not have a significant impact on the populations of those species. The hunting activities of domestic cats and dogs, disturbed habitats, and/or climate change each individually have much larger impacts on the populations of these species. Because we are selling these in the summer they will never get to their full size as adults and get to the point where they are a worry for small vertebrates. And with our shorter growing season and earlier frosts they do not have enough time to grow large enough to mature, mate and lay eggs. They are not a threat, in Canada, to our one native species that occurs here, (which lives in the Okanagan region of BC), which does manage to mature and lay eggs in overwintering ootheca (egg cases). The mantids are just another tool for gardeners to use to keep down numbers of pests (especially aphids) that proliferate over summer and then fade out as autumn approaches. They offer another choice instead of having to look to insecticides for pest control. I love how the Buckerfields’ advertisement has ladybugs and mantids displayed prominently on page 2 of its flyer – one must flip past these to get to the chemical choices.”

Each praying mantis egg case can produce 50-200 juvenile mantids, and can take 2-6 weeks to hatch.

Praying Mantis feed on aphids, beetles, caterpillars, chinch bugs, Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, hornworms, leafrollers, squash bugs, thrips and whiteflies. They start off feeding on fruit flies and other tiny insects and as they grow so does their prey.

Egg cases be attached to a plant about a foot or two off the ground. Once hatching commences, all praying mantis will hatch within about one hour. When hatching, the young crawl from between tiny flaps in the cases and hang from silken threads about 2" below the case. After drying out, the long-legged young disperse quickly into the vegetation as they are cannibalistic. It's very difficult to know hatching has occurred unless the elusive, well camouflaged young are found. (The egg case does not change appearance in any way).