Aphidius colemani
Aphids find almost every grower. Starting early keeps the job small.
Green peach aphids under long days? A 2mm wasp often finds the first colony before you do, then multiplies on the plant.
- Ships live, when readyUsually within 7 days, rarely 10. Mon–Thu, 2-day or overnight.
- Live arrival coveredReport concerns within 72 hours
- Free shippingWhen bugs and plant care come to $30
Midges clear crowded stems while wasps hunt the scattered rest
16 Square Feet ·$40
Handmade by Linda, for the plants you're protecting
2 inch · $20Buying for a group or a business? · Wholesale
01 · The problem
Is Aphidius colemani right for your aphids?
Signs it's aphids
- Small, soft aphids scattered on new growth and under leaves.
- Sticky honeydew on the leaves below.
- Curled new growth where they've been feeding.
Seeing these? Good catch. The sooner you start, the smaller the job.
Illustration · not to scale
Illustration · not to scale- You receive
- Aphid mummies with wasps inside, some already hatched
- Main target
- Aphids, especially green peach and melon aphid. Our default when you're not sure which
- Best conditions
- 65–80°F, 50–80% humidity, at least 12 hours of light
- Not for
- Potato or foxglove aphids, root aphids, or rooms using systemic sprays
Works on
- Green peach aphid
- Melon & cotton aphid
- Other small aphids
Not the answer for
- Large potato & foxglove aphids
- Root aphids
- Thrips, mites, whitefly, mealybugs
02 · Meet the beneficial
Aphidius colemani
Illustration · not to scaleOne wasp. More than 300 aphids.
A contortionist's aim
The female swings her tail end forward between her own legs and jabs the aphid in front of her. One egg goes inside, and the aphid becomes its nursery.
Sons need no father
A mother wasp doesn't need a mate to have sons: her unfertilized eggs hatch as males, and fertilized ones as females.
It follows the plant's call
Plants under aphid attack give off a scent, and the wasp follows it from afar. Up close, it homes in on the smell of aphids' sticky honeydew.
Hundreds per female
One female can lay eggs in more than 300 aphids, young or old, winged or not, across over 40 kinds of aphid.
03 · How it works
Living hunters, working on their own
Illustration · not to scaleEasy to start
Open, release, done. Nothing to mix or spray.
Illustration · not to scaleThey search for you
Most pests are too small to spot. Predators find them anyway, so you don't need to know where every one is hiding.
Illustration · not to scaleThey stay where the food is
For the most part they settle where the pests are and keep working.
Illustration · not to scaleAnother round is normal
Living things work in waves. You'll see the results as fewer pests on the plant.
Colemani multiplies on your plant: every aphid it parasitizes becomes a mummy that hatches another wasp.
Colemani temperature and storage
Illustration · not to scale65–80°FTheir best breeding range. 50–80% humidity, nothing special needed. At least 12 hours of light a day.
Illustration · not to scaleOut the day they arriveAdults live a short time. If you must wait, keep them cool and dark (45–55°F), never frozen.
Illustration · not to scaleSprays firstGive it 7 days after a spray before releasing; sulfur, 21 days. No systemics. Anything else? Ask Toby.
04 · Not your conditions?
Choose one of these instead
Not quite your situation? No problem. If your space or your pest is different, one of these fits better.
Big, long-legged green or pink aphidsAphidius erviThe larger wasp, built for potato and foxglove aphids
View →
A cool room or winter windowsillAphidius matricariaeKeeps hunting where colemani slows down
View →
Aphids on the rootsStratiolaelaps scimitusA soil mite worth trying for root aphids, not a cure
View →05 · The plan
How to release Aphidius colemani
No experience needed. Here's all it takes.
Illustration · not to scaleTake yellow cards down
Yellow sticky cards catch these wasps. Take them down for a few days, and deal with any ants.
Illustration · not to scaleOpen it in the canopy
In the morning, near the aphids. They need daylight to search and fly.
Illustration · not to scaleLeave the mummies be
Keep the material dry and undisturbed for several days while the wasps hatch out.
06 · What happens next
What to expect
Living things work at their own pace. Here's what normal looks like.
Illustration · not to scale
Illustration · not to scaleOne egg per aphid
The female lays a single egg inside an aphid. The young wasp grows in there and the aphid stops reproducing.
Mummies in one to two weeks
Puffy tan shells appear on the leaves: mummies, each one a new wasp on the way. Leave them be.
Fewer aphids week on week
The real scorecard is fewer aphids week on week and clean new growth. Damaged leaves stay curled, so judge the new ones.
07 · Reviews
What growers say
Before you order
All your questions, answered
Something else? Toby's in the chat, bottom right, and happy to help.
When does it ship, and how does it arrive?
Mummies in a light carrier: small tan aphid shells, each with a wasp finishing inside. Some may have hatched on the way, which is normal. Live orders ship Monday to Thursday, 2-day or overnight, whichever suits them best. Bugs and plant care ship free from $30; $15 under that. Pots and grow lights ship by ground, free from $75.
What if something's wrong when it arrives?
Our Live Delivery Guarantee covers it. Email info@fgmnnursery.com with your order number: within 72 hours of delivery for insects and springtails, or within 7 days for mites and nematodes. Full terms are on the Live Delivery Guarantee page.
Do they sting people?
No. Colemani only stings aphids, and only to lay an egg. They're harmless to people and pets.
Can I use them with yellow sticky cards?
Take the cards down for a few days around the release. They catch these wasps very efficiently. Put them back afterwards.
Why no systemic insecticides?
A systemic moves through the plant into the aphid, and the young wasp growing inside that aphid never finishes. On a plant treated with one, choose a different aphid fix.
Do they work on root aphids?
No, they hunt on the leaves. For root aphids, Stratiolaelaps is worth trying, not a cure. Isolating new plants is the best-supported thing you can do.
How long do they live?
Adults live about 7 to 14 days, longer with nectar or honeydew nearby, and each female parasitizes many aphids in that time.
Ready when you are
Aphidius colemani
You've got this. And if you get stuck, we're one email away at info@fgmnnursery.com.