Will I have bugs flying around my house?

Not so you'd notice. You may see them on the first day; then they scatter to hunt, and you're unlikely to spot them again. They stay where the pests are.

How do I know if they are actually working?

Keep an eye on your aphid colonies. About 10–14 days after release, you should start seeing "mummies"—aphids that look bloated and have turned a papery golden-brown or bronze color. If you see a tiny, neat circular hole in the back of a mummy, it means a new wasp has already hatched and is currently patrolling your plants for more pests.

Can I use these if I’ve already sprayed my plants?

It depends on what you used. Aphidius are very sensitive to broad-spectrum chemical pesticides: pyrethroids are 8–12 weeks, bifenthrin 12–15, neonicotinoids 21 days after a foliar spray and 4 weeks after a soil drench. Soft treatments are shorter — horticultural oil is done once it has dried, insecticidal soap needs a day. Where the label says longer, the label wins.

Why am I seeing ants near my aphids, and is that a problem?

Ants are a major obstacle for biocontrol. They "farm" aphids for their sweet honeydew and will aggressively protect them by attacking and killing your Aphidius wasps. For the wasps to be effective, you must control the ant population first using baits or barriers so the wasps can access the aphids undisturbed.

What happens to the wasps once the aphids are gone?

Once the food source (aphids) is depleted, the adult wasps will naturally die off or fly away to find new colonies elsewhere. They cannot survive without aphids to parasitize, so they will not become a permanent "resident" in your home once their job is done.

Do I need to release the whole bottle at once?

Yes. These are live organisms with a very high metabolism. They are shipped at the peak of their life cycle to ensure they start hunting immediately. They're best released within 48 hours rather than kept in the fridge longer. For the best results, open the bottle and release them the same day they arrive.

How many Aphidius matricariae do I need?

These are sized by area at one wasp per square foot, so measure the footprint of the growing space rather than counting pots. Pick the size that covers your square footage: 4, 16, 50, 100, 250, 500 or 1,000 square feet. Adjust for pressure: heavy pressure, go one size up; light pressure, one size down. One size is one release. Open the whole bottle in the space. Check again after about a week. Bronze mummies usually show up within one to two weeks, and the honeydew eases before the colony looks smaller. Repeat every 2 to 4 weeks while aphids are active.

Aphidius matricariae

Name: Aphidius matricariae
Brand: FGMN Nursery
SKU: MATR-10
Price: 45.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$45per bottle

Cool rooms get aphids too. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong.

The aphid wasp for cool rooms: green peach aphid on a porch, a conservatory or a winter windowsill.

1Size. How much area?

2How often?

Plan on a release every 2–4 weeks while aphids are active.

3Add to cart.

Quantity

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

Pairs well with

Green Lacewing Larvae

Larvae take the dense colonies; the wasps find the stragglers

250 Larvae ·$70

Rust & Orange Watercolor Planter

Handmade by Linda, for the plants you're protecting

2 inch · $20

Buying for a group or a business? · Wholesale

01 · The problem

Is Aphidius matricariae right for your aphids?

Signs it's aphids

Small, pale-green aphids 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 finishing inside
Main target: Green peach aphid, including the tobacco form, and other small aphids
Best conditions: A cool room, 59–77°F, 50–80% humidity. Short days don't stop it
Not for: Large potato or foxglove aphids, root aphids, or rooms using systemic sprays

Works on

Green peach aphid
Tobacco aphid
Small ornamental aphids

Not the answer for

Large potato & foxglove aphids
Root aphids
Thrips, mites, whitefly, mealybugs

02 · Meet the beneficial

Aphidius matricariae

Made for the cool side of the room. Sweater not included.

It does well at 68–77°F. At 86°F it lives shorter and lays fewer eggs, so it suits a cooler room over a hot one.

Courtship with a kick
Courting wasps fan their wings, chase and tap antennae. Females kick during it, and oddly, most favor their right side.
Egg to wasp in two weeks
At about 70°F, a new wasp chews its way out of the swollen, hardened aphid roughly 14 days after its mother laid the egg.
A wide menu
It goes after more than 40 kinds of aphid, and one female can lay eggs in 200 to 300 of them.

03 · How it works

Living hunters, working on their own

Illustration · not to scale
Easy to start
Open, release, done. Nothing to mix or spray.
Illustration · not to scale
They 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 scale
They stay where the food is
For the most part they settle where the pests are and keep working.
Illustration · not to scale
Another round is normal
Living things work in waves. You'll see the results as fewer pests on the plant.

Matricariae multiplies on your plant: every aphid it parasitizes becomes a mummy that hatches another wasp.

Matricariae temperature and storage

Illustration · not to scale
59–77°FStays active in cooler rooms than the other aphid wasps. 50–80% humidity. Not tied to day length.
Illustration · not to scale
Out the day they arriveIf you must wait, keep them cool and dark (40–50°F) and release within about 48 hours.
Illustration · not to scale
Sprays 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.

A warm roomAphidius colemani

Our default aphid wasp for green peach aphid in a warm room

View →

Big, long-legged green or pink aphidsAphidius ervi

The larger wasp, built for potato and foxglove aphids

View →

05 · The plan

How to release Aphidius matricariae

No experience needed. Here's all it takes.

Illustration · not to scale
Ants and yellow cards first
Ants guard aphids and attack the wasps. Yellow cards catch them. Deal with both before release.
Illustration · not to scale
Open it in the canopy
In the morning, near the aphids. Searching and flying both need daylight.
Illustration · not to scale
Leave 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

Mummies within one to two weeks
You'll start to see puffy bronze shells on the leaves: mummies, each one a new wasp on the way.
Aphids fall as each one hatches
The real scorecard is fewer aphids week on week and clean new growth.
Flowers help
Adults live two to three weeks with nectar or honeydew. Flowering plants in the room make a real difference.

How many do I need?

How many wasps to buy

About one wasp per square foot of growing space. Repeat every 2–4 weeks while aphids are active.

A windowsill hot spot	10 wasps
A porch or conservatory, up to 50 sq ft	50 wasps
A cool greenhouse, up to 250 sq ft	250 wasps

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 bronze aphid shells with wasps finishing inside. Nothing moves at first. The cold pack usually arrives warm, and that's expected. 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.

Will these wasps sting me or my pets?

No. They're micro-wasps about the size of a gnat, with no sting that can reach people, cats or dogs. They're only interested in aphids.

Matricariae or colemani?

Choose matricariae for green peach aphid in a cool room: a conservatory, an unheated porch, a winter windowsill. In a warm room, Aphidius colemani is the pick.

What happens once the aphids are gone?

They can't live without aphids, so they don't become permanent residents. If aphids come back, release again.

Ready when you are

Aphidius matricariae

You've got this. And if you get stuck, we're one email away at info@fgmnnursery.com.

Change size or plan ↑

From Field Notes

Matricariae Has a Type→The Wasp Only Works on the Right Aphid.→Give the Aphid Wasps a Way Out→

Aphidius matricariae

1Size. How much area?

2How often?

3Add to cart.

Is Aphidius matricariae right for your aphids?

Signs it's aphids

Works on

Not the answer for

Aphidius matricariae

Courtship with a kick

Egg to wasp in two weeks

A wide menu

Living hunters, working on their own

Easy to start

They search for you

They stay where the food is

Another round is normal

Choose one of these instead

How to release Aphidius matricariae

Ants and yellow cards first

Open it in the canopy

Leave the mummies be

What to expect

Mummies within one to two weeks

Aphids fall as each one hatches

Flowers help

All your questions, answered

Aphidius matricariae