Soap solution

[Rogue11]

I know this topic has been talked about many times, but I just want some clarification on a few things.
I have been using this spray solution successfully against aphids and mites for the past 2 growing seasons. This year I have not been seeing many aphids until a couple weeks ago but the weather was very hot so I didn't want to spray. And last week was praying mantis hatching time in my garden it seems. The little guys are everywhere, which has me worried again. Would the soapy spray harm them too? I also read in a different thread about soap solution harming bees. I thought it worked on contact only. Wouldn't that mean you would have to spray a bee (or praying Mantis) directly to harm it?

Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

I don't really know...

Safer's insecticidal soap, which is not exactly the same as homemade soap solution, claims that it is harmless to beneficials"


It does not kill beneficial insects such as ladybugs, praying mantis and others.

[url]https://www.weekendgardener.net/organic-pesticide/insecticidal-soap-060706.htm[/url]

In that article they say:

. It is a contact killer for both insect and mite pests. It penetrates the body of pests disrupting membrane and cellular function and which results in rapid death. It is effective against the adult, larval and nymph stages of pests.

that would seem to support what you say about it wouldn't be harmful unless it is sprayed on the insect.

I was thinking why it would not harm ladybugs and mantises is that it only works against soft bodied insects, because most of the things on their list of what it works against are soft bodied. But their effective against list also includes grasshoppers. So it is hard for me to understand why it would work against grasshoppers, but not ladybugs and mantises.

[Rogue11]

I don't really know...

I was thinking why it would not harm ladybugs and mantises is that it only works against soft bodied insects, because most of the things on their list of what it works against are soft bodied. But their effective against list also includes grasshoppers. So it is hard for me to understand why it would work against grasshoppers, but not ladybugs and mantises.

Yeah that's what I have been wondering too. Especially since the mantis are still so small right now I think I will be skipping the soap for now. Not to mention that I have a ton of them on my vegetable plants right now and I have been watching them hunting down aphids like crazy.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, a few days ago I watched hundreds of baby mantises hatch out from an egg case. They are all invisible now. I'm hoping they hid themselves, not got eaten by birds. They were about 1/4" long and very delicate.

[applestar]

Aphids are right size meal for baby mantises.