‘Lady Bug, Lady Bug
fly away home . . .’
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A gardeners best friend, the Lady Bug, also known as the Lady Beetle or LadyBird in England, has a healthy appetite for feeding on harmful insects like aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, scale and other sap feeding insects. They can eliminate up to 5000 aphids in their lifespan.
The most familiar Lady Bug is red with black spots, however there are also yellow, pink, orange, and black types. The number of spots on their bodies can range anywhere from 0 to 15. The Twice Stabbed Lady Beetle is solid black decorated with a single red dot.
Lady Bugs can produce up to 6 generations a year. They hibernate together throughout winter months in protected areas such as ground covers, under rocks and in logs. When spring arrives, between 50 and 300 oval shaped yellow eggs are laid on plants infested with aphid colonies. Egg hatch occurs within 3 to 5 days. The larvae of the Lady Bug , blue black in color with orange markings and described as alligator looking, is often mstaken as a dangerous insect. Resist the temptation to do it harm. After 2 - 3 weeks of feeding it will pupate into the insect familiar to you. Once a plant has been cleaned, they move on to the next nearby feast in your garden. The Lady bug value is definitely in reducing the level of pests in your garden. |
Encourage Lady Bugs into your space by:
1. Planting: Fennel, Dill, Cilantro, Angelica, Cosmos, coreopsis and Geraniums. the pollen of these plants provide another source of food they enjoy.
2. Reducing: the use of synthetic insecticides. They harm the Helpful Lady Bug as well as harmful insects. If you reduce their food source, they won’t stick around.
3. Providing a home: Lady Bug Houses serve as a warm home to hibernate in during winter months and a nursery for egg laying and metamorphosis. |
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Tips on releasing Lady Bugs:
1. Release after sundown before sunrise.
2. Water plants before releasing, they are happy for the drink and the water helps them stick to the plants.
3. Drape cloth over heavily infested plants and rrelease lady bugs inside the cover.
The Lady Bug contributes an environmentally sound solution to insect control, beauty and fun to our community. Both Lady Bugs and their homes are available at McDonald Garden Center. |
