| Lacewing releases can be an effective way to control pests, but only if your lacewings are properly stored and in good condition prior to application. |
White bucket of lacewing larvae and small container showing lacewing eggs in rice hull carrier. A hand is shown pouring a small amount of the lacewing eggs and carrier into a petri dish. |
| When using lacewings for biological control, it is important to check your lacewing shipment when it arrives. |
Person closes the container of lacewing eggs and carrier. |
| You can check your lacewing shipment in the microscope, |
A person is looking through a microscope at a petri dish which contains lacewing eggs and larvae. The frame zooms in to show green and purple lacewing eggs. |
| or with a hand lens. |
Close up of a hand holding a hand lens focused over a petri dish contaning lacewing eggs and one larvae. The hand lens moves across the petri dish showing several green imature eggs and multiple purple mature eggs with a visible eye. |
| Eggs should appear lavender to grey with a visible eye when they are close to hatching. |
Several lavender lacewing eggs are shown. Some are purple in color and have a visible eye indicating that they are mature, others are green and immature. The screen pans across the eggs. |
| If they are very green allow them to mature before applying. Hold them between room temperature and 80 degrees farenheight for one to three days. Higher temperatures will make them hatch faster. |
Mutiple green lacewing eggs. Eggs are oblong and yellowish green. |
| Check them daily and apply when eggs are mature, or at first sign of larvae hatching. |
Puplish grey oblong eggs. Eggs have a purple dot of the lacewing eye. |
| If your lacewing eggs or larvae come pre-mixed with a carrier, you likely will also see frozen clothes moth eggs which are provided as a food source for lacewing larvae. |
Small round-to-oblong white eggs about one quarter the size of lacewing eggs. |
| If they are mature and you need to hold them for a few days you can store at 50 to 55 degrees farenheight. However, this may reduce hatch rates. |
A person walks into a walk in cooler holding a bucket of lacewing eggs. |
| Do not keep in a pickup truck or anywhere that will get hot. Use an insulated container, like a cooler. |
Lacewing eggs and larvae packaged in several types of containers in a cooler with ice packs. |
| If you buy eggs in bulk you will want to mix in carrier, like rice or buckwheat hulls, before applying. |
Six plastic containers with rice hulls. |
| Add a small amount to each container, for example sized to do one row, and mix thoroughly. |
Lacewing eggs are sprinkled out of a small container into each of the six containers with rice hulls. Then lids are placed on the containers and they are gently shaken to mix the eggs in with the rice hulls. |
| For larvae products open the container. Shake it up. |
A lacewing larvae walks across the screen. |
| Larvae can be kept at 55 to 60 degrees farenheight prior to release, but for no longer than overnight. Longer storage will decrease survival and increase cannibalism inside the container. |
Mutiple lacewing larvae are active and walk across the screen. |
| Make sure that larvae are active, indicating they are healthy. |
Mutiple lacewing larvae are active and walk across the screen. |
