Release the lacewings!
The delicate-looking flying insects could be the hard-nosed eating machines bugged out New Yorkers need to combat the aphid apocalypse, experts said.
The larvae of the winged insects, of which there are thousands of species, gobble just about everything in their paths — and are voracious predators of aphids, says Sam Anderson, an urban agriculture specialist.
“Lacewings are a native insect, the larvae eat aphids and they’ll eat a lot of them,” Anderson told The Post, adding that if the city desired, it could release them on host plants that are popular among the pests.
Lacewing larvae are commonly used as a natural pest control, and their eggs can be purchased through garden catalogs and websites.
Anderson noted that while ladybugs have the better-known reputation for chowing down on aphids, those released to deal with the pests don’t stick around long enough to get the job done.
“They’re preprogrammed to migrate, they literally head for the hills,” he said.
New Yorkers and tourists alike have been abuzz out over the sudden appearance of aphids — perfectly harmless, common garden insects that feed on plant sap — and are decrying the pests as the latest ‘affliction’ plaguing the Big Apple.
“I sat down to eat an ice cream cone in Bryant Park and it was like I was essentially eating gnats,” said college grad Emily Ruiz, 21, misidentifying the critter.
Experts chalked up the sudden spike in the aphid population this year to an unusually mild winter and rainy spring, which has provide ideal growing conditions for moist flowers and plant — and the insects’ mating season.
