Green Lacewing Eggs

A fun fact is that green lacewings (Chrysoperla) produce songs or vibrations to attract a mate, and each lacewing species has their own song. Females can produce over 200 eggs which are deposited on the end of a hair-like filament to protect them from hungry enemies, such an ingenious design. The eggs hatch after 3-6 days and the hungry little aphid lions emerge and promptly begin feeding on pests. Lacewing larvae are active for 2-3 weeks before they pupate into adults. This is the window that you need them on crops to help control aphids, thrips, mealybug and more.

Green lacewing eggs are an economical approach to biological control. They can be shipped two-day vs. overnight which saves money, and they cost significantly less than the larvae. They can be used indoors and out, and with a wide variety of crops. Lacewing eggs have been released from airplanes over potato fields and sprinkled onto houseplants. They are a versatile predator and a good introduction to biocontrols.

Green lacewing eggs come in three forms. The smallest amount is a 1k cup. There are 1,000 eggs in a tiny 2oz cup. There is no filler, so these are a bit challenging to apply, as they could easily roll right off the plants. It’s recommended to mist the plants before distribution to help the eggs stick, and/or mix in your own carrier to help with even distribution. Your goal is to get the predators as close as possible to the pests.

Eggs also are available with a food and rice hull filler with 5,000 in a 4 oz bottle and 10,000 in an 8 oz bottle. The rice hulls help the eggs to distribute more evenly in the bottle and are easier to apply. Some growers are using xanthan gum to help the eggs stick to plants. If you want to give this a try, we have some available.

Another popular way to distribute lacewing eggs is on small paper cards with lacewing eggs glued onto them. The cards easily attach to plants, and you can get them just where you need them. They come in a strip of 30 cards for a total of 5,000 eggs. Try adding lacewing eggs consistently to the crops that are historically challenged with pests to avoid problems down the road. Plan now and save money with lacewing eggs.