Hops absolutely infested with lady bugs, their larvae and carcasses

[Silentdrinker]

I've had a few hop verities planted for a few years but always ended up too busy during the summer to really tend to them. This year, I did a little tending and my centennial did amazing. I even made an APA with some wet hops for my wedding. The plant appeared very healthy at the time.

Maybe a week after the wet hops, the plant was infested with literally hundreds of these odd black and orange bugs.

I'm starting to harvest them, but are so many. I also noticed carcasses looking very much like a ladybug and young lady bugs with no slots and very orange. So It dawned on me to check online if these black/orange caterpillar like bugs were the beginning stage of a ladybug. Sure enough, that's exactly what they are.

So, what should I do here? The dried carcasses are stuck on pretty well. I started picking the cones and dropping them into a corny keg. I was going to purge with co2 then go back and try to clean what I can.

Any good methods out there? I'm sure I have over a lb of centennial to salvage.

 

[triethylborane]

Id just pick the cones off and give a quick shake, then not worry.

Of course no pics, so I'm using my imagination, but people go on fear factor or a bush walkabout and eat way more disgusting insects, so some boiled lady bugs and the protein bump doesn't seem like a big deal.

 

[LBussy]

Keep in mind that if you are infested with ladybugs it's likely that the precursor was an Aphid infestation.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Id just pick the cones off and give a quick shake, then not worry.

Of course no pics, so I'm using my imagination, but people go on fear factor or a bush walkabout and eat way more disgusting insects, so some boiled lady bugs and the protein bump doesn't seem like a big deal.

That's basically the attitude I have and direction I'm going. I wasn't sure if there was another method.

Here are some photos. I already cut it down and harvested a buch, but still a lot to go.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Keep in mind that if you are infested with ladybugs it's likely that the precursor was an Aphid infestation.

Ya, there's not a doubt in my mind that aphids were an issue.

 

[triethylborane]

Oh yeah, you can see the aphids. I wouldn't use the cones if you sprayed insect control on the aphids, but absent that . . . Id probably use them lol.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Oh yeah, you can see the aphids. I wouldn't use the cones if you sprayed insect control on the aphids, but absent that . . . Id probably use them lol.

I did nothing more than water once in a while. I'm surprised aphids are even an issue with the amount of ants we have here.

We always have really busy summers between several routine vacations and trips and other activities. Plus this year we had a wedding, so I ended up in San Francisco and Yosemite with friends for several days as a "bachelor party."

I spent a lot of time building my electric brewery, controller and stand:






And I built a keezer, brewed up a lot of beer and cider for the wedding. Plus I framed in a "brew barn" in the backyard.

So ya, my hop plants got ignored other than the occasional watering. I didn't even do the soap.

Plus, they were looking great up until it was wedding crunch time.




The close up was when I did the wet hopping. It's like the infestation happened over night. At that point I was so busy, I couldn't tend to them and figured it was a loss.

But I'll just stick with my plan. Doesn't seem like there's much else I can do, and I'm sure it'll be fine. They smell fantastic.

 

[shoengine]

Ants are the reason we have aphids on our fruit trees over here. They farm them.

 

[Silentdrinker]

Ants are the reason we have aphids on our fruit trees over here. They farm them.

Ya, that's what I understood. They milk them. But I guess that would make sense now that you say that. They don't eat them like the lady bugs do, so they wouldn't rid the plant of them. I saw only a few ants on the vine.

I'll need to figure out a method to maintain these things. I was thinking about splitting up the centennial rhizome next year. It was a 2 year root ball when I planted it and that was several years ago, so I know the thing is huge. The fuggle hardly sprouted this year. The tettnanger did really well, and it wasn't infested like the centennial. And the others were either dug up or rotted because they didn't sprout and I couldn't find the rhizome.

 

[Apimyces]

The "carcasses" are most likely pupae.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Ladybugs are, allegedly, horribly bitter and just generally taste terrible. I think you've got a recipe for a really popular IPA there.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

The top two photos look like no Lady Bugs I've seen.

But I'd shake them off and use them just the same.

Yeast like proteins, yes?...

 

[PapaBearJay]

Those are pics of ladybug larvae, prior to emergence.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Those are pics of ladybug larvae, prior to emergence.

I'm talking about the critters with ribbed shells, and legs, non larvae / pupae type.

I've never seen a Lady Bug with a ribbed shell!

Always smooth I've seen.

 

[B-Hoppy]

I'm talking about the critters with ribbed shells, and legs, non larvae / pupae type.

I've never seen a Lady Bug with a ribbed shell!

Always smooth I've seen.

Take a look at this, and make sure any youngsters are away from the screen before the 1:50 mark, gets a little steamy...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zrDGh2DIRU[/ame]