Green Lacewings for Natural Pest Control

If you’ve ever battled aphid clusters on tender new growth, or watched whiteflies cloud up from your plants, introducing green lacewings for effective pest control is a must for your garden.

What Is a Green Lacewing? 

Green Lacewing Diet

While adult green lacewings are gentle pollinators, their “aphid lion” offspring do the heavy lifting. Each larva will consume dozens of aphids a day. They find soft-bodied pests in outdoor vegetable beds and containers, greenhouses, indoor houseplants, and even orchards and vineyards.

When pest populations are low, you can supplement their diet with Green Lacewing Larvae Diet cards to sustain them and keep pests in check. Their adaptability allows green lacewings to integrate naturally with your plants, a must-have for anyone looking for a long-term pest management plan using beneficial insects for pest control.

Green Lacewing Lifecycle

Green lacewings go through four main stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. For gardeners, the most important stages to understand are eggs, larvae, and adults, because each is sold and used differently.

Choosing the Right Stage for You

Whether you’re preventing outbreaks or reclaiming infested plants, choosing the right lacewing stage makes a difference. When used properly, these small predators become one of the most reliable allies in natural pest control.

Each lacewing life stage serves a different gardening goal. However you introduce them, when matched to the right pest pressure and released properly, they can effectively patrol and protect your plants. 

When shopping for green lacewings for sale, you’ll notice suppliers offer three main life stages: eggs, larvae, and adults. Each works differently:

• Eggs are best for prevention or mild infestations: Starting with eggs gives them time to develop and adapt to local conditions. Green lacewing eggs usually come mixed with a carrier that can be sprinkled over foliage, or distributed in hanging release boxes to hang in targeted areas. Eggs can also come glued to small hanging cards for a straightforward release.
• Larvae for a quick knock-down: These grayish, alligator-shaped hunters with strong jaws are the classic aphid lions and your go-to for heavy infestations. They actively hunt and grab prey making quick work when you need a noticeable knock-down of aphid and soft-bodied pest populations. They can eat dozens of aphids per day and hundreds over their larval lifetime.
• Adults for long-term populations: Adult green lacewings are the pretty, winged form you may see around flowers during the day, or lights at night. They feed primarily on nectar, pollen, and honeydew, but not many pests directly. Adults will lay tiny, pale green eggs on delicate thread-like filaments, usually on the underside of leaves, to protect them from the elements and hungry siblings that hatch early. Their role is to seed your garden with future aphid lions to establish a self-sustaining lacewing population over the growing season.

How to Release Green Lacewing Larvae

When to Release Adult Green Lacewings 

Adult green lacewings should be released immediately, ideally in an area with blooming flowers. Gently open the container and watch them fly! You can gently mist foliage and provide a supplemental food source to encourage them to land close by after they are released.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are green lacewings harmful?

The answer is reassuring: absolutely not. To humans, pets, and plants, lacewings are safe and non-stinging.

Do green lacewings bite?

Technically yes. Occasionally, larvae may pinch lightly if handled, but it’s more of a tickle than a true bite. They do not transmit disease.

What pests do green lacewings eat?

As a general predator, green lacewing larvae are most effective against soft-bodied pests like aphids, small caterpillars, mealybugs, mites, scale, thrips larvae, and whiteflies. They are not effective against hard-bodied beetles, scale insects in heavy armored stages, or large established pest populations without repeat releases.

How can I attract green lacewings naturally?

To attract and sustain lacewing populations without constant reordering, a biodiverse, thriving habitat is the best long-term strategy. Fill your garden, yard, or greenhouse with plants that produce rich pollen and nectar  like dill, fennel, yarrow, calendula, and borage. Allow culinary herbs like cilantro, thyme, and Tulsi basil to bolt or go to flower. Select plants that flower in different seasons so you have coverage during spring, summer, fall, and even winter in some areas. Minimizing pesticide use is key; avoid broad-spectrum sprays that eliminate both pests and helpful insects. 

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using green lacewings?

Common mistakes to avoid are:

• Releasing into pesticide residue
• Releasing too few, or not frequently enough, for heavy infestations
• Releasing adults expecting immediate knockdown
• Storing eggs or larvae too long
• Using sticky traps nearby

Where can I buy green lacewings for sale?

Green lacewings for sale are available as eggs, larvae, or adults.

• Green lacewing eggs for sale are available in two product types and many sizes. They are packed in rice hulls or glued on hanging cards.
• Green lacewing larvae for sale are available in many sizes and are packed in buckwheat hulls.
• Green lacewing adults for sale are available in many sizes.

References

1. Cornell CALS Integrated Pest Management. “Common Green Lacewing – Biocontrol Agent Factsheet.”
2. Tennessee State University Extension. “Insect Predators – Green Lacewings.”
3. LSU AgCenter. “Green Lacewings.”
4. Oklahoma State University Extension. “Augmentation Biological Control Practices for the Home Landscape.”

5. Penn State Extension. “Culinary Herbs are Good for Beneficial Insects, Including Pollinators.“

6. University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, UCCE Master Gardener Program. “Plants for Beneficial Insects.”