Fighting Fire with Fire... or Bugs With Bugs. Does it Work?

Has anyone ever used bugs higher up on the food chain to control pests like spider mites? There's a hydro store down the street from my house and they sell lady bugs, praying mantis, and one other predator bug. For $20 you get 1,200 lady bugs and for $8 you get a "case" of praying mantis eggs. Now I am not sure how many mantis eggs 8 dollars buys these days, but I'd have to assume its at least a few if they're calling it a case. Has anyone ever filled their grow room with lady bugs? I'd assume it'd work, but I can't imagine wanting to deal with 1200 lady bugs when I am stoned and trying to work in my garden.

Lady bugs are great, they won't hurt anything and they will hang around until there is nothing to eat. Spider mites are like candy to them... you don't have to release all 1200 of them unless there will be enough food for them all. If there isn't enough, most of them will just try to get out of your room.

Praying mantis are too big to eat spider mites, but they do eat caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, beetles, roaches, crickets even small reptiles.