What is this? Friend or foe?

Troubleshooting Pests
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Found this shell on a leaf today. Just wanted to know if it’s beneficial?

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I do not like those things. We were over run by them for a couple years. :blush::v:

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They sure bite ya good :upside_down_face::green_heart::metal:t2:

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We have been tòo. If the eat mites and thrips, I’ll take 'em.

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I actually really appreciate you bringing this up with the picture. I had no idea what that was or the way the lady beetle developed. Pretty cool, and alien looking stage. :slightly_smiling_face: as far as I know they are beneficial but can bite.

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They are very beneficial you can buy them online to help get rid of bad bugs. I buy ladybugs a couple of times a year. 1500 at a time for around $15
Yeah they can bite but it doesn’t leave a mark.

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Are the above Asian Lady beetles beneficial? :green_heart::metal:t2:

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Some consider them more beneficial because they love to congregate in large swarms. For aphid eating. Normal ladybugs are solitary and prefer to spread out away from each other. They both eat aphids with the same gusto. The babies of both types, in their larval stages, are able to eat incredible numbers of aphids. As compared to the parents.

The Asian ones come from a warmer no frost climate. Their pesky bad habit then is to swarm our homes and foundations to get out of the cold when the fall comes on. They also have a chemical goo they secrete with a bad odor if you crush them or damage them as a defense mechanism. It stains everything like dye with a brown/yellow color, the defensive goo. So vacuum them, don’t crush them unless you like the color. Asian ones like to bite for fun too. It’s a pinch that doesn’t break the skin, but you will notice it.

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I recently learned about these guys. I don’t know why they haven’t been deployed more by cannabis growers. I have never seen them for sale or mentioned in all my years of growing…

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“The black ladybug that eats spider mites is called the spider mite destroyer, or Stethorus. It is a type of lady beetle that is a natural predator of spider mites and can be purchased commercially.”

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Guess you got a new opportunity ahead of ya :wink::green_heart::metal:t2:

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Ive used ladybugs, praying mantis and green lacewings. Ill have to check out Black ladybugs

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Wow they are expensive

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Yes, they bite. You’re welcome