Recently, I wrote a blog post on the large number of whitefly currently plaguing gardens across Melbourne. While their numbers are still quite high, I’ve noticed a huge increase in predatory insects over the last fortnight. We’ve had plenty of ladybugs, spiders, praying mantis, hover flies and lacewings in our garden. With an abundance of food, these insects are breeding up in large numbers.
It’s important to consider your predatory insects if you are actively trying to control whitefly. The yellow sticky traps often used by gardeners are just as likely to trap good, predatory insects as the problematic whitefly. When it comes to whitefly, I’m a firm believer in letting nature take its course. This increase in good bugs, combined with a continuous week of hot weather should have the whitefly back under control in no time.
Over the weekend I took a few photos of the predators currently protecting our garden. Here’s a small selection.
