I've heard mixed reviews about purchasing beneficial insects for the garden. The biggest complaint is that they dont' stay put. Has anyone imported beneficials to the garden, and did it help? I'm thinking of doing ladybeetles, praying mantis and lacewings. Also, does anyone know offhand what the natural predators to cucumber beetles are? (I can look it up, but I don't have my bible book in front of me...)

Lady beetles will not hang around, unless you have lots of aphids or have their favorite plants. Lacewings have stayed in my garden. I imported some about 6 years ago and each year they appear. I have not tried mantids.

There are a couple of tricks to it. We have 5 mixed gardens, rose, herb, annuals/shrubs, perennials/shrubs and a "nursing bed" with interplanting throughout, meaning that host plants for beneficials such as dill and parsley are among every other planting. We release 500 or so every early summer when aphid populations have boomed on fresh sappy growth.

Release in the evening just before dusk, pre-wet the plants first because the beetles are thirsty and try to pick a wind calm evening. Release in batches, mostly where you see aphids.

If they feed, they will lay eggs and begin a cycle of predator population. On a windy day, they will be carried off but the key is having them around for a day or two!

John / Ecologicals

Personally I think it is better to attract beneficials to your garden. Have water, places to hide and things to eat and the beneficials will come.

I believe the explosion of Asian ladybiugs in everyone's homes is directly related to realeasing ladybugs in the garden. The beetles we release are the same species.

If you use any pesticides (even things like pyrethrum) you make your garden very unappetizing to beneficials so they stay away or fly away

Song birds love cuke beetles so put some feeders and a water source in your garden to bring the birds in. Some folks sprinkle birdseed all around the affected plants and the birds come in for the seeds and stay for the bugs.

Praying Mantis are VERY territorial & the dominant mantis will kill the others in his territory, so I wouldn't spend a lot of money on those. I think paying mantis must be desparately searching for organic gardens where they can safely live & eat, because I was fortunate last year to have different praying mantis in 5 of my beds on various parts of my garden. They found this safe haven on their own. I must say that when you have them, you must be prepared to see things like butterflies with big chunks bitten out of them. I'm always a bit stunned to see one of my 'beloveds' attack & kill another, as my toads & praying mantises, & wasps, & birds all co-exist in sometimes less than perfect accord in the little world of my gardens.

habitat, habitat, habitat. make it and they will come. give the beneficials the habitat they want and you can save your money and not buy any for your garden. each year i add to my wildflower area and i have more and more ladybeetles(almost becoming a pest) and praying mantis galore. also, a side benefit to habitat is that i have more toads coming back every year and do they love to eat. all of these beneficials were free for just the price of a few seeds. peace be with you and may your garden be bug friendly.