Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties.
You can attract lace wing in by placing jars of water and yeast mixed together drill tiny holes in the jar lid the yeast smell will attract your wild population of lace wings both the green and brown lace wing . Here in OZ I use Vegimite to do that .
Plants that attract lacewings:
Achillea filipendulina Fern-leaf yarrow
Anethum graveolens Dill
Angelica gigas Angelica
Anthemis tinctoria Golden marguerite
Atriplex canescens Four-wing saltbush
Callirhoe involucrata Purple poppy mallow
Carum Carvi Caraway
Coriandrum sativum Coriander
Cosmos bipinnatus Cosmos white sensation
Daucus Carota Queen Anne's lace
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel
Helianthus maximilianii Prairie sunflower
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion
I would think Tansy would be your best bet.
http://www.farmerfred.com/plants_that_attract_benefi.html
Achillea filipendulina Fern-leaf yarrow
Anethum graveolens Dill
Angelica gigas Angelica
Anthemis tinctoria Golden marguerite
Atriplex canescens Four-wing saltbush
Callirhoe involucrata Purple poppy mallow
Carum Carvi Caraway
Coriandrum sativum Coriander
Cosmos bipinnatus Cosmos white sensation
Daucus Carota Queen Anne's lace
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel
Helianthus maximilianii Prairie sunflower
Tanacetum vulgare Tansy
Taraxacum officinale Dandelion
I would think Tansy would be your best bet.
http://www.farmerfred.com/plants_that_attract_benefi.html
Yep at least 80% of what you have put up I have in my garden I also use the Sow Thistle or milk thistle as my sacrificial crop the aphid love the Sow so I grow it in my lettuce crop when the aphids have attacked the thistle I break off the stems full of aphids and feed to the chooks they love the thistle as well as the aphid .
Got bugs? Best search for IDing them. Just click on the shape of the bug and refine
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
The best way to prevent Fungus gnats is to pre-treat all soil from the beginning with BTi before any hatch. BTi will only work on larvae, so if you have fliers, they will quickly overwhelm any IPM that is based solely on BTi alone.
If you find yourself with fliers and larvae start using BTi (gnatrol 28%, Dunks 10%, Microbelift 9%, bits 3%) I would do a full drench for a few days, then let it dry out as best as you can.
Get yourself an inexpensive and low power shop vac ($20 you don't want it to damage any leaves if you get too close) and give the stalk a shake and get around the base. This also works easiest if you have white walls. Stirs up the top layer of your soil to dry it out quicker.
BTi drench again and they should be on their way out. Vacuum the fliers as often as you can. The larger the size the closer to it giving you more.
If you find yourself with fliers and larvae start using BTi (gnatrol 28%, Dunks 10%, Microbelift 9%, bits 3%) I would do a full drench for a few days, then let it dry out as best as you can.
Get yourself an inexpensive and low power shop vac ($20 you don't want it to damage any leaves if you get too close) and give the stalk a shake and get around the base. This also works easiest if you have white walls. Stirs up the top layer of your soil to dry it out quicker.
BTi drench again and they should be on their way out. Vacuum the fliers as often as you can. The larger the size the closer to it giving you more.
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ALL healthy soils have mites. Not all soil mites are pests FYI and in fact most are beneficial because they shit out your nutrients.
Springtails are your friends as well
Springtails are your friends as well
