How to use ladybugs to control pests in your cotton crop
If you own your own cotton crop, you’ve surely battled cotton pests like mealy bugs or aphids before. Pest control products can be expensive, so why not use ladybugs as an inexpensive alternative? Ladybugs eat both adult mealy bugs and the cotton aphid eggs, which have caused problems in some crops, but not ladybugs’ favorite plants: daisies and dandelions. Here’s how to use ladybugs to control pests in your cotton crop! What are ladybugs? Ladybugs are brightly colored beetles that feed on plant-eating insects. They are often used as a form of pest control because they eat other bugs that destroy crops. Ladybug eggs hatch into larvae, which then turn into adult ladybugs and eat more bugs! This is a great way to make sure you have a successful harvest. What do they eat? Ladybugs are one of the best natural predators of insects that damage plants and they can be used as a biological form of pest control. They eat most soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and mites.