 While transplanting some fennel last week, I noticed some lacewing eggs on one of the baby plants. Unique among insect eggs, lacewing eggs are attached to a long silk thread protruding off the plant. This gives them a whimsical look (pictured below). This helps prevent predation and cannibalization when the first hatch in approximately five days.  Adult lacewing. Photo by Erik Karits, pexels.com As larvae they are voracious eaters, consuming up to 400 aphids per day (or anything else they can find). Unlike ladybugs, which tend to fly away immediately upon hatching, lacewings keep close to home. This makes them a great ally for our Fort Wayne organic practice farm (uncertified) against garden pests.
While I often see adults flying around, it was fun to find the eggs. This is a nice affirmation that the eggs I released a couple years back are beginning to naturalize. One of the most difficult decisions in organic farming is to know when to intervene with sprays. Many organic sprays are broad spectrum, meaning the lacewing larvae will also be killed. Hopefully, this is a sign that we are approaching a more natural equilibrium of pests and beneficials. All of this is to say, thanks for forgiving the occasional aphid on your lettuce. Organic farming is all about striking that balance between high-quality product and ethical practices, and we get better at finding that balance each and every year on our Fort Wayne farmstead.
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