"Biological Warfare": Ladybirds vs Aphids

[Fuzzball79]

Finally got my ladybird "family" today (there are hardly any wild ones around here, at least not the 2 spotted kind, so I ended up buying from a breeder). My roses are covered in aphids (one of the bushes looks like it's on its last legs ) and I didn't want to use chemicals this year (I find the aphids tend to become immune after a while anyway).
You can only buy Adalia bipunctata in the UK, because the 6-spotted variety is a non native species.

The troops

The battlefield (with the barracks in the background)

Advance to contact!

Even the babies are getting involved

 

[Rmac88]

They will knock out the aphids very quickly! Aphids are horrible little creatures,my other hobby (carnivorous plants) it's especially hard to get rid of aphids. Cps have extremely fragile roots that will burn from any chemical, and if I unleashed the hounds of war like you have, the plants would just eat them! Haha

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[Fuzzball79]

They will knock out the aphids very quickly! Aphids are horrible little creatures,my other hobby (carnivorous plants) it's especially hard to get rid of aphids. Cps have extremely fragile roots that will burn from any chemical, and if I unleashed the hounds of war like you have, the plants would just eat them! Haha

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I know I shouldn't laugh about the image of carnivorous plants eating the poor ladybirds who are only trying to help but lol.
I quite like carnivorous plants, too, but at the moment I've got a window sill full of orchids. I've only got Phalaenopsis (Moth orchid) so far (and one Dendrobium, which smells lovely but seems to be on strike at the moment), but I'd love to add a Cypripedioideae sp (Lady's slipper).

 

[Rmac88]

Beautiful orchids! I only have a phal orchid growing on a windowsill right next to a Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plant). If you can grow orchids, you can grow Nepenthes!

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[kormath]

Ladybugs are awesome! I read somewhere they'll eat like 50 aphids a day, and like over 5000 in their lifetime. Awesome insects. We have the 6 spotted here, not sure the species,