Live Ladybird Larvae x 50

Best gardening buy of 2023! Had an awful aphid/black fly infestation on some flowering bushes - really heavy with thick layers of the little black buggers all over stalks and leaves. Didn’t want to put poisons down, so went for this option. Was a little sceptical when it arrived, but could see a few of the little larvae moving around in the box, so just opened it up and left in the bush overnight. 2 weeks later and there are dozens of big fat ladybird larvae patrolling around the bushes and a dwindling number of aphids. Properly effective solution and really quite enjoy watching these beauties smashing their way through a pile of black fly. Much nicer than looking at a sterile/dead part of the garden, if I’d used poisons. Couldn’t recommend more strongly!

I'm well aware what ladybird larvae look like. They were delivered among some dried greenery. It was hard to see them, so I put it all out on a large white plate. I was able to fish some out, and I put them on my roses individually with a paintbrush. After finding about 20 I couldn't see any more, so I added some greenfly to the plate for food, and put a clear bag over the top to see how many more larvae emerged, and two did. I had another look, and there were no more. Nothing like the 50 I paid for, which is very annoying. I've since paid for more from another supplier. Came in white shredded paper in a little dish, easy to see as the larvae are black, smaller quantities to wade through - and there are loads. I wouldn't waste my money on this supplier, I'll be going elsewhere in future. Shame, because I've had their vine weevil nematodes and they seemed OK.

UPDATE 6 days from action: these, in conjunction with the adult infranty, worked a treat! Plants saved from disaster. Package arrived quickly, within two days of ordering on weekend. In all fairness I purchased both the adults and a pack of larvae because my organic garden was completely devoid of any ladybirds this year. I followed the instructions about the fridge and then putting them out in the evening, plus making sure they had water. Went to check this morning and the adults had a feast!!! I've left the box of larvae with a leaf touching so they can make their way out on their own time while the adults run the first feeding session. Fingers crossed they fill my garden with plenty babies in due course. I'm very happy with my purchase so far.

Because I was over run with afids Why did you choose this product over others?: Because I wanted to save my plants, but I think the arrived dead Plant health: To save them from being eaten

I was hoping to write that "they came, they ate, they vanquished" but alas I must instead report that "they came, they sat, they vanished". The creatures arrived in a small, rigid-plastic container and the whole package was small enough to come through the letterbox. Inside the plastic box were many tiny pellets that were, I presume, some sort of food. There were also many strips of paper and amidst and upon the paper were ladybird larvae. I wasn't able to count the larvae but several were definitely dead and I reckon I saw at least 25 alive. It is quite possible that there were more larvae that I didn't see amongst the paper so I see no reason to doubt that there were at least 50 in the box somewhere. The larvae themselves were much smaller than a typical winged greenfly so I had to accept that they'd probably only be devouring baby aphids for the first week or so. The affected plants were three potted lupins and they were smothered in greenfly. I sprinkled the strips of paper and the ladybird larvae between the lupin stems and left them to it. For the first week I didn't see the larvae again but then I found one wandering around and about twice as big as when they'd arrived. Alas, by this time the lupins had collapsed and by the end of another week one lupin was dead above ground and the other two were clinging to life only barely. There were still plenty of greenfly, assorted beetles and some caterpillars but the ladybird larvae couldn't be found. To conclude: I ordered 50 ladybird larvae and they arrived mostly alive. They were scattered on plants thick with aphids. In the subsequent two weeks only one larvae was found and it was looking plumper than when it had arrived. I don't know what happened to the rest.

This is a great product but I personally made the mistake of not killing the ants protecting the aphids before releasing the larvae. It does warn you about it in the instructions sheet of the product, but it was too late for me, as you only have one day or two to use the larvae once you receive them: The parcel was due to arrive in a week but it actually arrived the next day in a small envelope through the letter box. Inside there was a small box with shredded paper and lots of tiny larvae. They are really tiny things, smaller than an ant. They looked dead but they weren't, just sleepy. I took the time to lift each one of them carefully and place them onto the plants. However the ants quickly recognised the larvae, and went STRAIGHT to attact them. It has been more than a week now and most of my larvae are nowhere to be seen. I don't know if they are still there but hidden... Or they are not there anymore. And my plants are getting full of aphids. Also: you need a Plan B if you have a heavy infestation, because the larvae alone would not cope and by the time they grow into adults and reproduce, the aphids reproduce much quicker and they will spoil your plants. Overall, great product though and good service. Much recommended.

Arrived in 2 days, larvae were all alive (a little sleepy but soon woke up when I took them out) and I immediately put them on my aphid-infested lilies (I've quarantined them in a tank indoors so they can't spread onto other plants). I used the included paper bags to tip the ladybird larvae gently onto the lily plants, and I left the box open under the plants because some of the smaller larvae were still clinging to the box and I didn't want to risk injuring them by trying to pick them up. I watched for a few minutes to make sure they were all moving around, and then left them to it. 2 days later, I check them, most of the larvae are hiding in the leaves, but there are DEFINITELY far less aphids than there were. I watch closely for a while and I managed to catch one of the larvae, a little bit bigger now, eating an aphid (see video). The remaining aphids appear to be running for their lives as they are not settled eating, but rather moving around and upwards trying to escape the 50 predators. I'm excited to see the ladybirds pupate, and I might even have to get food for them as they're eating the live aphids so quickly as far as I can tell. Happier plants, happy ladybirds, happy me. (Not so happy aphids, sorry aphids.) Would definitely recommend this product. I'm not sure if it would be as effective outdoors, I've noticed some reviews say ants attacked the ladybirds because the ants would be farming the aphids and therefore protecting them. Definitely works if there's no ant guards though.

Ordered and when they came originally there seemed to be 6 or 7 alive in the box and they were so tiny. When I rang, they did send me more but they were so tiny it was hard to tell how many there might be and what was alive and wasn't. Very difficult to distribute them as so tiny and I had to throw all the shredded paper onto the plants as well as it was impossible to extricate them. I have bought larvae from other sources and they have always been much bigger and therefore easier to handle.