Ladybird larvae - is there any point against ant-aphid infestation?

[gardeninggirl14]

I'm trying very hard to garden organically, but my entire garden is infested with aphids and ants. The infestation is so bad on the trees that the leaves are curling and basically destroyed. Has anyone tried buying either live ladybirds or ladybird larvae to combat this and does it work? I read lots of places that it does but conversely also that the ants will fight off the ladybirds in order to protect their aphid farms (yuck) so that there's no point. Worth a punt or shall I just save my money?

How long have you been gardening organically? My experience of trying not to use chemicals is that the first few years are grim, but if you keep your nerve, predator population build up and the pests become less of a problem. You'll still have aphids - but not in such quantites that they destroy the shoots.

The aphids seem to be particularly bad in our area this year. I spotted a ladybird down the road the other day and actually contemplated taking it home with me for a second!
House sparrows like aphids too so you could try encouraging more birds into your garden.

Heh, there's a MNer who really did take a ladybird home with her – to great success!

Her plants were indoors, though, so no ants:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3928654-Can-I-borrow-a-ladybird-to-get-rid-of-aphids-on-my-house-plants

Other insects eat aphids too - hoverflies and lacewings, so growing plants that attract (hoverflies in particular) them, helps a lot.

@MereDintofPandiculation this is only my third summer of gardening organically, so perhaps it'll take a while for things to balance out, as you suggest. I hope so, everything is just covered. Even a pumpkin plant I was given a couple of days ago is now infested.

@PerkingFaintly that's a great thread, not least because there was a real live ladybird breeder on it! Gotta love mumsnet for bringing all kinds of people together.

@NanTheWiser - good to know. I spotted a beautiful fly the other day and when I googled, i discovered it was a damselfly. I don't have a pond so I'm surprised to see one in my garden, but very happy.

Thanks for your replies all, i think I'll save my cash for now and use it for a few more flowers instead, in the hope of attracting more aphid predators.