Lacewing Larvae for Aphids | Chrysoperla carnea | Biological Control
SKU: 80050616202

Lacewing Larvae for Aphids | Chrysoperla carnea | Biological Control

Sale price$25.20 Regular price$28.00
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 7 - Jul 12

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Lacewing Larvae for Aphids | Chrysoperla carnea | Biological ControlThe properly voracious aphid predator green lacewing larvae (Chrysoperla carnea) that genuinely earn their "aphid lion" nickname. A single larva consumes 300600 aphids during its 23 week feeding life, working its way through the colonies that ordinary sprays only partially knock back. Properly the biological alternative for serious aphid problems on roses, sweet peas, brassicas, fruit trees, indoor plants, greenhouses, polytunnels and anywhere else

The properly voracious aphid predator — green lacewing larvae (Chrysoperla carnea) that genuinely earn their "aphid lion" nickname. A single larva consumes 300–600 aphids during its 2–3 week feeding life, working its way through the colonies that ordinary sprays only partially knock back. Properly the biological alternative for serious aphid problems on roses, sweet peas, brassicas, fruit trees, indoor plants, greenhouses, polytunnels and anywhere else aphids have established themselves.

Despatched directly from Ladybird Plant Care as a live biological product. Properly fast turnaround — order by 10am Monday for delivery later in the same week.

You can read the full instructions for this product here.

What they are

Lacewing larvae are the immature stage of the common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) — one of the most effective generalist predators known to gardening. The larvae look properly like tiny alligators — beige-brown bodies about 8mm long with dark markings, curved sickle-shaped jaws, and a properly determined hunting posture. Each larva spends 14–21 days actively hunting aphids and other soft-bodied prey before pupating into the lovely adult lacewing.

Worth knowing: the larvae do the pest control work, not the adults. Adult lacewings feed only on pollen, nectar and honeydew — properly useful as pollinators but not as predators. The product you receive is therefore the larval stage specifically — the part of the lifecycle that does the work.

How they hunt

Lacewing larvae are properly aggressive hunters. They crawl across plant surfaces, locate prey by movement and chemical cues, and grasp them with curved mandibles. The larva injects a salivary fluid that digests the prey's body contents, then sucks out the liquefied interior. The whole consumption takes a few minutes per aphid; the larva can take prey larger than itself if needed.

A single larva consumes around 300–400 aphids on average during full development, with the most voracious third-instar larvae managing up to 120 aphids in 24 hours under optimal conditions. Total lifetime consumption can exceed 600 aphids when prey is abundant.

What they control

  • Aphids — all species, all life stages; properly the primary target
  • Mealybugs — properly effective, particularly on houseplants and conservatory plants
  • Thrips — both larvae and eggs
  • Whitefly — eggs and pupae particularly
  • Spider mites — all active stages
  • Lepidopteran eggs — small caterpillars and moth eggs
  • Scale insect crawlers — the young mobile stage
  • Other small soft-bodied pests on foliage

Properly a generalist predator. Strong on aphids primarily, but useful against the entire suite of sap-sucking foliar pests.

What they don't control

  • Adult moths or butterflies — flying adults aren't accessible
  • Hard-bodied insects — beetles, weevil adults
  • Soil-dwelling pests — larvae work on foliage. For soil pests use Hypoaspis Mites or nematodes
  • Slugs and snails — wrong tool entirely
  • Adult lacewings don't predate — the predation period is the 2–3 week larval stage only
  • Eggs on stalks are sometimes ignored (some pest eggs on stalks evade the larvae)

How to use them

  • Apply immediately on arrival — live biological product at its best fresh
  • Brief storage if needed — cool (10–15°C) for up to a day or two if essential delay
  • Distribute across infested plants — sprinkle directly onto aphid-affected foliage, or apply via paper/card placement on leaves
  • Apply at dusk or in cool conditions — avoid direct sunlight at application
  • Target the infested plants directly — don't scatter randomly; place where the aphids are
  • Don't apply during heavy rain — can dislodge larvae before they establish
  • Repeat applications often beneficial — 2–3 releases at 7–10 day intervals for substantial infestations
  • Indoor and outdoor — equally effective in greenhouses, polytunnels, conservatories, indoor plants, outdoor borders, vegetable patches

Application rates

Rough guidance from professional usage:

  • Preventative use: 5 larvae per plant or per square metre of growing area
  • Light infestation: 10 larvae per plant or per square metre
  • Heavy infestation: 10–20 larvae per plant; consider multiple releases
  • Greenhouse / polytunnel: distribute evenly across growing area
  • Container plants: 5–10 larvae per pot for heavy infestation

Choosing pack size

  • 500 larvae (£28.00) — covers approximately 50–100 plants preventatively, or 25–50 plants under active infestation. Properly suitable for: a domestic garden with aphid issues on roses or fruit trees, a small greenhouse, a houseplant collection with mealybug problems. £56 per 1,000 larvae
  • 1000 larvae (£40.00) — covers approximately 100–200 plants preventatively. Properly suitable for: a larger garden, a serious greenhouse / polytunnel operation, an allotment with multiple aphid-prone crops, or a small commercial growing space. £40 per 1,000 larvae — 28.6% better value per larva than the smaller pack

For most home gardeners with one or two aphid hotspots, the 500-pack is properly the right starting point. For substantial spring aphid outbreaks across the garden, the 1000-pack pays back.

Optimal conditions

  • Temperature: 15–30°C optimal; larvae slow significantly below 15°C
  • Humidity: 60–80% ideal; performs across wider range
  • Light: any conditions; larvae are active day and night
  • Plants: works on virtually all foliage; particularly good on roses, sweet peas, brassicas, fruit trees, peppers, tomatoes, indoor plants
  • Compatible with most other biological controls and chemical-free approaches

Integrated pest management

Lacewing larvae work properly well alongside other biological controls in the Ladybird Plant Care range:

  • For severe aphid infestations — combine Lacewing Larvae with Horticultural Soap at first knock-back, then release larvae to mop up survivors and prevent re-establishment
  • For mixed pest problems — Lacewing Larvae handle most foliar pests; Hypoaspis Mites handle soil-stage pests; nematodes handle larger soil pests
  • For fungus gnat issues — use Hypoaspis specifically; Lacewing Larvae don't target fungus gnats well
  • For brassica caterpillars — use InsectoNet Plastic Free Netting for physical exclusion alongside Lacewing Larvae for any aphids that get under the net

Attracting future lacewings to the garden

The released larvae will eventually pupate and emerge as adult lacewings. The adults don't contribute to pest control directly, but they do lay eggs that hatch into the next generation of larvae — properly the start of an ongoing predator population if your garden suits them. To attract and retain adults:

  • Plant nectar-rich flowers — particularly umbelliferous plants (dill, fennel, coriander), composite flowers (cosmos, asters), and yarrow. See our plants for pollinators range
  • Provide overwintering habitat — let some seedheads stand through winter; lacewings overwinter as adults in sheltered spots
  • Avoid broad-spectrum chemical sprays — obvious but worth saying; chemicals kill the lacewings you've paid to release

Specifications

  • Species: Chrysoperla carnea (Common green lacewing)
  • Brand: Ladybird Plant Care
  • Type: Live larval-stage biological predator
  • Larval stage: 2–3 weeks active hunting before pupation
  • Consumption: 300–600 aphids per larva across full development
  • Pack sizes: 500 larvae (£28) or 1000 larvae (£40)
  • Best value: 1000-pack at £40 per 1,000 larvae (28.6% better than 500-pack)
  • Dispatch: Order by 10am Monday for delivery later the same week
  • Storage: Apply on arrival; brief hold at 10–15°C if delayed
  • Safety: Safe for humans, pets, plants and pollinators; doesn't bite humans
  • Edible crop use: Suitable; no harvest interval restriction

About Ladybird Plant Care

Ladybird Plant Care are UK specialists in biological and organic pest control, supplying live nematodes, predatory insects, lacewing larvae and naturally-derived sprays direct to gardeners. We're proud to stock their range as one of our trusted collective partners. Live products dispatch directly at peak freshness — properly the right approach for biological materials.

A small thought: there's something properly satisfying about releasing a packet of tiny predators onto a rose bush full of aphids and watching nature do the work over the next two weeks. No sprays, no chemicals, no daily checking. Just the larvae quietly working their way through the colonies until the aphids are gone. The kind of pest control that gets on with itself — and properly the way our gardens used to manage themselves before we started trying to do everything with bottles.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 80050616202

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.2 ★★★★★
Based on 857 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
Mom_of_TeenageTwo
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 3
Squeaky balls for big dogs
Color: Squeaky-4 Pack, Size: Medium
I wanted a cheaper alternative to the Kong squeaky balls but unless you have big dogs that have powerful jaws, it is challenging for small and some medium dogs to squeak these. My dogs lost interest when they realized they couldn't squeak them. I will have to pass them off to a friend who has large dogs.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Anne Corona Hipps
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Moms dog here…reviewing cos it’s mine!
Color: Squeaky-4 Pack, Size: Medium
Moms corgo here. Reviewing the squeaky balls mom bought. First off..they’re green. I don’t know what green exactly is cos I’m colorblind, so whatever that is it is and because it’s mine, I like it. Secondly, they’re fluffy. It’s an annoying texture that I like to peel off, but these are tough and peeling them is a struggle. Thirdly, the bounce. I don’t know where these balls think they’re going to think my mom is so repulsive, but they bounce just high enough to catch them and bring the escapee back to mom when I feel like they need to go back to her, otherwise, I take them to a safe spot to release into the wild…but mom always captures them and they always escape. I tell you, it’s a vicious cycle. Fifthly…the squeak!! That rotten vulgar noise!! I want to unalive those things so bad!! Balls in the past were no match for my jaws of death, but these?? These are resilient and have quite the will to live! I have yet to destroy one!! To wrap this up…Corgo approves and declares them mine. I like them. I think your doggo will like them too. But you can’t have mine..cos they’re mine. *drops the corgo mic*
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024
C
Verified Purchase
Christina Johnson
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Not for aggressive chewers
Color: Non Squeaky-12 Pack, Size: Medium
You get a good amount of balls for the price. My dogs loved them but unfortunately they did not last long. That is not the company’s fault, my dogs are very toy aggressive and destroy almost every toy.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2025
M
Verified Purchase
Mitch
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Our German Sheppard loves these
Size: Medium
These cost a bit more than tennis balls, but they are so much nicer and longer lasting. For starters, they stay cleaner than tennis balls because they’re smooth rubber. Dirt won’t build up on them and if anything does stick, like grass or soil, it falls off once the dog slobber dries. They’re also thick, so they don’t fall apart or blow out like a normal tennis ball does in our dog’s jaws after 30 seconds. Our GS chomps on these like crazy and the only damage they’ve suffered is a crack that developed from the edge of the hole, but the crack is growing very slowly and none of these balls have totally failed yet. The balls do whistle when thrown ant high speed and that may help a dog track and locate it, but I’m not sure. Our neighbors hear the whistling too so it’s far from silent. Lastly the orange ball is easy to locate out in our yard, but the dark blue practically disappears.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2025
C
Verified Purchase
Casey B
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for smaller dogs
Size: Small
These two balls are perfect for the smaller mouthed dog that loves to play fetch. These balls are not only super durable (lots of teeth biting), but float in the baby pool we use for our miniature dachshunds. The value here is much better than you’d find anywhere else. The noise, if bitten hard enough, was “low” at best. Easy to spot/find if overthrown. Will definitely buy again once these are in bad repair; so far, so good-love these for my fur babies!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024

recommand products