AKWindWatcher I can't wait to talk to you about it this summer to see if we notice any difference in pest pressure. I'm looking forward to trying a lot of new things this season. First thing I want to try is making my own compost tea. My husband bought me a fancy backpack sprayer last season and I feel like I could be in Ghostbusters when I use it, so I love any reason to spray my plants! 
Beneficial Insects
5 months later
Other than beneficial nematodes, releasing beneficials to combat pests is new to me in the garden. I’d always assumed releasing flying insects in an outdoor garden space would be rather futile.
That being said, I was beginning to discover what I believed to be thrips, although I’ve never identified them before. Yesterday I released 500 adult Orius insidiosus and it seems like overnight my pest trouble disappeared! I’m shocked and feeling relieved at how quickly they went to work!
Minute Pirate bugs are the best! Although they occasionally give me a nip here and there, they are so good at getting rid of the bad guys, that I don't mind.
KitCMC I ordered from Sound Horticulture and hooray, yes, they shipped! For just shy of $15 shipping, these arrived cozied into a box with two little cooler packs in a little plastic jar with a vented lid. Because these were live, timing of ordering to shipping was specific, but they offer a variety of bugs, and some can be released via sachets or egg cards so there are some options depending on what you’re looking for.
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I get them fro Greenmethods.com, it is the site to buy smaller quantities directly from Benificial Insectary. I buy them from the insectary instead of a reseller like Arbico. I like my bugs super fresh 
a year later
Emilyp Do the lacewings eat the pirate bugs or vice versa?
I think it can go both ways, as they are both generalist predators.
18 days later
I released minute pirate bugs 6 days ago, and I don't want to jinx it, but I haven't seen a thrip since. I only noticed I had them on my petunias and a couple lighter colored collarettes but I'm sure there were some elsewhere. I have an issue with tarnished plant bugs and the minute pirate bugs are supposed to eat all juvenile stages of those. Since releasing them, I haven't seen an adult either! They also eat spider mites. It's probably too early to really tell, but I'm definitely encouraged. After Japanese beetle season is over, my main pests are spider mites, thrips and TPBs. If the pirate bugs work, I may not have to spray anything except fertilizer and fungicides! 
MissyWeitzel when does Japanese beetle season end (for us in the upper Midwest)? I can’t remember. I’ve hardly seen any this year, but I’m afraid as soon as I take a break from bagging they’ll find me…
We do not have Japanese beetles in the PNW. We do have lots of slugs and snails.
Juliarugula check this! Enter your zip code up top then choose Japanese beetles on the right.
https://gddtracker.msu.edu/?model=11&offset=0&zip=49323
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MissyWeitzel cool thanks!
Looks like we’ve got a while though…
Teddahlia I can send you some to play with if you'd like
Krista the nice thing about cilantro is that once you have it, it interplants itself in the dahlia beds and is slower to bolt because the dahlias shade it out and if one is lucky you get another fall crop in sept. i eat it even when it bolts but try to leave most for the beneficial insects. chamomile and pineapple plant (chamomile relative and it smells like pineapples) also good for attracting beneficials.
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Dahlia53 Thank you for the tips, I’ll have to look up pineapple plant! I’d sure love if cilantro reseeded for me like it does for you. I’ll make a note and try this next year.
Our move this grow season jumbled all kinds of plans I had for dahlia planting but I did manage to get sweet alyssum to sprout in some of my dahlia grow bags at planting time. We are headed back to check the dahlias out after a couple of weeks of being away so I’ll have to send an update next week. Not sure it stuck it out through the heat in Central WA this month, and even if there are any dahlia still growing.
Either way, I’m happy to hear about your cilantro method and I’ll give it a shot!