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Live arrival
Live Ladybugs
Hippodamia convergens
From
$28
Natural aphid control for gardens, greenhouses, and grows.
Best for Aphid pressure
Nursery IPM
Beneficial insects for nurseries.
Residue-free pest control for saleable stock. Used in wholesale and retail nurseries across California and the U.S.
Direct answer
What beneficial insects work best for nurseries?
A three-species program covers most nursery pest pressure: ladybugs (aphids on ornamentals and edibles), green lacewings (mites, thrips, whiteflies), and beneficial nematodes (fungus gnat larvae in containers).
- No chemical residue on saleable stock
- Safe to apply during retail hours
- Recurring weekly or biweekly programs
- Compatible with OMRI-listed soaps and oils (timed apart)
- Useful on ornamentals, edibles, tropicals
Nursery IPM essentials
Three species cover the common pressure.
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Live arrival
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Broad-spectrum predator — sometimes called "aphid lions."
Best for Mixed pest pressure
Live arrival
Microscopic soil allies for soil-dwelling pests.
Best for Fungus gnats
New
Live arrival
A balanced beneficial program for greenhouse environments.
Best for Greenhouses
Frequently asked questions
Why use beneficial insects in a nursery? +
Saleable stock cannot carry chemical residue or visible pest damage. Beneficial insects provide a clean, residue-free pest-control approach that protects plant quality and customer trust.
Do they work on potted ornamentals and edibles? +
Yes — the species we sell are widely used on ornamentals, edibles, and tropicals. Beneficial nematodes are particularly valuable for soil-stage fungus gnats common in nursery containers.
How does this fit into a wholesale nursery? +
Recurring weekly or biweekly programs work well. Many wholesale operations also use yellow sticky cards for monitoring alongside beneficials.
Can I run beneficials and biopesticides together? +
With timing care, yes. Apply biopesticides (BTK, horticultural oils, OMRI soaps) before releasing beneficials, with a clean window in between.
What about disease pressure? +
Beneficial insects are for arthropod pests, not pathogens. Manage disease with cultural practices, sanitation, and labeled biofungicides where appropriate.