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Proper pest control is one of the most difficult situations to manage when you’re growing crops. Many growers turn to beneficial pests to rid their farms of mites, thrips, or whiteflies that cause significant damage to their harvest. But do these predatory pests actually work to kill off insects crunching down on your crops?
While some bugs can help control populations, they may not be the answer you’re looking for, especially if you have a greenhouse or hydroponic setup. To fully understand how beneficial pests work, we’ve provided a guide on why growers use predatory bugs and what the downsides are. Plus, we discuss what sort of alternatives you can turn to that may assist with proper pest management.
Why Growers Are Using Beneficial Insects As Part of Their IPM Programs
Growers sometimes choose natural methods, such as beneficial bugs, as part of their integrated pest management system, especially when growing food or medicinal crops. The reason for this is to reduce the need for pesticides and to prevent pest resistance. Another reason they use predatory bugs is for nutrient cycling through decomposition in soil-based crops.
Beneficial insects are basically natural predators of harmful pests, such as mites or whiteflies that feed on plants. Insects like ladybugs or butterflies can provide a form of natural pest control because they feed on harmful bugs. You also get parasitoids that lay eggs inside pests to kill them from the inside.
The Downsides of Using Beneficial Insects To Control Pests
Alt Text: A large ant infestation on top of a green leaf. The ants are brown in color and clustered together. Photo by Dibakar Roy on Unsplash
Although natural predatory bugs can provide a form of pest control, they don’t live long, with an estimated lifespan of 2-3 weeks. If you’re using certain bugs as part of a pest management program, they can run out of food quickly and die off. This means that if pests return, you’ll no longer have beneficial insects to assist you. Here are additional downsides to using predatory insects for pest control:
- Not as effective for indoor or hydroponic systems: Predatory bugs like lacewing flies or ladybugs can be less effective in hydroponic or indoor systems because they need space, a pollen source, and natural conditions to survive. Without these elements, they may not be able to reproduce, and they will die off quickly.
Source: https://www.edengreen.com/blog-collection/pest-management - Results are slow: When you use beneficial bugs for your pest problem, the results won’t be immediate because they work on a much slower natural cycle. This means that pests will have more time to reproduce and damage your crops.
- Management is intensive: Biological pest control requires a lot of planning and monitoring. You’ll need to understand the predatory bug’s biology and keep a detailed record of it so it can survive, all while managing your crops.
- High cost: Purchasing beneficial insects can be expensive, especially when infestations are severe or ongoing. Since they need to be replenished, the investment adds up quickly compared to other pest control methods.
- Limited feeding capacity: Predatory insects can only consume a certain number of pests each day. If the pest population is larger than what they can handle, the problem will continue to grow.
Because no single method is guaranteed to eliminate pests entirely, relying on beneficial insects may not give you consistent results. A reliable approach is addressing problems at their source using solutions like Protection Plus. The spray formula is one of the best eco-friendly ways to control pest populations, without compromising the safety of your crops.
What Are The Most Commonly Used Beneficial Insects?
There are specific pests like aphids that beneficial species love to feed on. If you have a certain type of infestation, you’ll need a specific beneficial to target the problem. Below are the most commonly used beneficial insects and what they feed on.
Green Lacewing
A green lacewing is a small, bright green insect with transparent wings. They’re usually found in trees or field crops and typically feed on nectar, honeydew, and yeast. Green lacewings also eat a variety of insects, but are better at controlling soft-bodied bugs like spider mites and mealybugs. One of the disadvantages of using green lacewings is that only larvae are predatory, as the adults only feed on nectar and pollen. Once the beneficials mature, they will no longer be useful for pest control.
Ladybugs
There are about 5000 species of ladybugs in the world, so not all of them look alike or eat the same foods. The most common-looking ladybug is bright red with tiny black dots on top of its body, but you can also get yellow or grey ones. These insects are a type of beetle, and they love eating soft pests like aphids and mites, but they can also feed on fungi, pollen, and fruits. While ladybugs can feed on 50 aphids a day, they don’t always adapt well to indoor or hydroponic systems.
Assassin Bugs
An assassin bug, also known as an ambush bug, has a short three-segmented beak that it uses to pierce its prey to suck out its fluids. It’s most likely to attack flying insects like bees or flies, but they also feed on ants, thrips, and mealybugs. Additionally, they are patient and aggressive hunters and feed on pests through all life stages. Although they are considered a beneficial predator, they can also deliver a painful bite to humans, which makes them less suitable for indoor farms.
Soldier Beetle
Many growers use soldier beetles as a biological control agent as they feed on caterpillars, grasshopper eggs, and aphids. They also eat pollen and nectar, so they can be used as pollinators. Larvae eat ground-dwelling vertebrates like snails or slugs. The disadvantage of using soldier beetles to control the pests is that they’re seasonal beneficials. They are most active during midsummer to early autumn. Outside of this window, they’re largely absent, so relying on them for season-long pest control isn’t realistic.
Predatory Mite
Greenhouse growers with whitefly problems may use predatory mites to control their populations. These are arachnids that consume harmful insects like thrips, spidermites, and, of course, the whitefly. Predatory mites prefer living on plants that have chambers, hairs, or pits on the underside of them. However, these beneficials are highly sensitive to their environment and need specific temperature and humidity levels to survive. If the conditions are too hot, cold, or dry, predatory mites can die off quickly.
Can You Rely on Beneficial Insects to Control Pests?
Growers can’t always rely on beneficial insects to fully control pest populations because of their slower natural cycle. As a result, beneficials may lag behind pest population growth. Pests like aphids can reproduce in as little as 7 days, and mites can complete a generation in under 2 weeks. Beneficials like ladybugs and assassin bugs can take between 2 days and 2 weeks to lay eggs. This means that it takes time for beneficials to build up enough numbers to manage pests.
Furthermore, there are some beneficials like green lacewings that only feed on harmful pests during the larval stage; thereafter, they’ll feed on nectar or pollen. You may also find that a beneficial insect or agent is very specific in what pest it can attack. Therefore, it won’t help much if the pest spectrum is broad or the wrong pest is present.
Lastly, introducing certain beneficial species (especially non-native ones) may be restricted by law. Quarantine, ecological risk assessment, or import regulations can delay or prevent use.
Learn more about pests like aphids and how to control them here – Aphid Lifecycle and Natural Control Methods
Are There Ways to Deter Pests Without Beneficial Insects?
Alt Text: A picture of greenhouse with trees, leaves, and flowers. There’s a small pond in the middle, with potted plants hanging from certain areas. Photo by Aleksi Partanen on Unsplash
You don’t have to introduce predatory insects to your crops to effectively manage pests. While pest control beneficial insects can help, there are reliable alternatives that address infestations directly. Methods like sanitation, barriers, and contact sprays such as Protection Plus provide growers with targeted options that can be used when infestations are out of control and the beneficials can’t get the upper hand. When applied correctly, Protection Plus leaves no residue, ensuring safety for beneficial insects after it has dried following applications.
Here are other methods you can try:
- Sanitation Practices: Remove plant debris and weeds that provide breeding grounds for pests, so you can cut off their life cycle before populations grow.
- Companion Planting: Certain plants like marigolds and rosemary repel or distract insect pests and reduce their impact on main crops.
- Crop Rotation: Alternating plant families reduces recurring pest pressure by disrupting host availability.
- Physical Barriers: Use row covers, netting, or sticky traps to prevent insects from reaching plants.
- Eco-Friendly Sprays: Protection Plus works as a contact killer without leaving behind residues that cause buildup or insect resistance, which makes it a strong solution for infestations. You can also use the product year-round or whenever you experience a pest problem, which is something you can’t do with beneficials. This is because some beneficials, like ladybugs, enter diapause during the winter months.
- Hydroponic Water Hygiene: Regularly clean reservoirs, change hydroponic water on schedule, and use filters or UV sterilizers to keep the nutrient solution free of algae, fungi, and insect larvae. You should also clean lines and pumps to prevent biofilm buildup.
Final Thoughts – A Year-Round Reliable Way to Protect Your Crops from Pests
When it comes to effective pest control, Protection Plus stands out as the best solution for growers who want consistent results year-round. This eco-friendly contact killer works by breaking down the exoskeleton of insects and leads to suffocation; however, it must make contact with the pest to be effective. You can use the formula weekly on pests like whiteflies, spider mites, aphids, and more.
For maximum results, apply as a foliar spray or media drench, and ensure complete coverage while following the recommended application timelines. Because Protection Plus leaves no residue when used correctly, it prevents buildup, and it’s a contact killer, so repeated applications are safe and effective. Protect your plants today and choose Protection Plus for reliable crop pest control.