A popular symbol of springtime all over the world - the miniature spotted creature we like to call the ladybug. Lady "bug" is a slang term for group of beetles that are also known as ladybird beetles or lady beetles. They are harmless to humans and are often considered cute by people who don't like other insects.
Ladybugs have had important roles in culture and religion, being associated as omens of good luck, love, fertility and prophecy. Ladybugs have been said to predict the future, particularly weather conditions and how well the crops will grow. In England, finding a ladybug means there will be a good harvest. In European folklore, and still in Sweden today, if a ladybug lands on a young girl's hand, she will soon be getting married. The insect acts as a matchmaker, crawling on a woman and then flying to their true love. In Christianity, ladybugs have been seen as the literal gatekeepers of Heaven. Jews have referred to insects as the "Cow of Moses our Teacher", and in some Indian religions they are known as "Indra's cowherd". The Cherokee have revered them as the "Great Beloved Woman"; this was used as a title for the highest-ranking woman in the government, who would be painted in the colors and patterns of the insect during ceremonies. Ladybugs are the official state insect of Tennessee, Ohio, Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. How interesting that such a tiny insect can make such a vast difference in the world!
So, what do ladybugs and gardening have to do with each other? Ladybugs are natural enemies to a large number of pests, most importantly aphids. Aphids damage plants by distorting growth or sometimes transmitting viruses to vegetables and ornamental plants. In fact, they provide pest-removal services that many growers use instead of pesticides.
Ladybugs have a lifecycle like a butterfly, where there are four distinct forms depending on how old the insect is. Ladybugs lay their eggs in clusters or rows on the underside of a leaf, usually where aphids have gathered. Larvae, which vary in shape and color based on species, emerge in a few days. Larvae grow quickly and shed their skin several times. When they reach full size, they attach to a leaf by their tail, and a pupa is formed. Within a week or two, the pupa becomes an adult ladybug. Both the adult ladybugs, and the grub-stage larvae have chewing mouthparts and are voracious predators of other insects. Although each type of ladybug has preferences for what they will eat (e.g., aphids, scales, moth larvae, spider mites, mealybugs, fruit flies, thrips etc.), they tend to have fairly broad tastes and feed on almost any small arthropods (insects, mites), insect eggs or small larvae that they can successfully attack and ingest. Although ladybug larvae are strictly predators, adult ladybugs may occasionally supplement this diet by feeding on pollen or nectar.
Not all ladybugs are carnivorous, but the predatory ones are helpful to gardeners, because they do not damage crops while filling their bellies. A single ladybug can eat as many as 5,000 aphids during its lifetime. Both the adults and larvae eat insects, in fact, larvae eat more pests than adults do. Some also feed on fungal growths (mildews) on the leaves of plants. Ladybugs are most active from spring until fall. When the weather turns cold, they look for a warm, secluded place to hibernate, such as in rotting logs, under rocks, or even inside houses. These hibernating colonies can contain thousands of ladybugs.
It is possible to buy ladybugs online or from garden magazines for pest control purposes. But is it worth buying ladybugs to manage pests?
There are definitely mixed reviews on that topic. Some say absolutely. Others say that because ladybugs can fly, they are highly mobile. Which means that just because you release them in your farm or garden, it doesn’t mean they will hang around and feed on pests.
If you are thinking about purchasing ladybugs, think about the following:
Could ladybugs control your problem? Ladybugs are best for controlling small, soft-bodied insects like aphids.
How big is your problem? Research has suggested that it can take multiple releases of thousands of ladybugs to control large aphid outbreaks.
Can you correctly handle the ladybugs?
Ladybugs will need to be shipped promptly and kept cool until you are ready to release them. They will likely need water immediately after they are released.
As soon as you receive the ladybugs, spray a little water into the bags and put them in the refrigerator. This helps to relieve the dehydration and overexcitement caused during shipping. The cool environment helps them to settle down as it gives a false sense of hibernation.
Ladybugs can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 months. They may become so inactive that it may seem as if they have perished. Some loss is to be expected, but most of them quickly recover on being introduced into the garden.
You should ensure that your garden has been made insect-friendly before you bring in the ladybugs, or they will just take off to better destinations. As in the case of attracting local populations, you should make sure that there are at least a few aphid-infested plants to release the ladybugs into. It is a good idea to water down the plants, knocking down some aphids from their perch, so that they can feed them on the ground.
Late evening and early dawn are the best times to release ladybugs. The darkness and the cool temperature may keep them from flying away as soon as they are released. Sunlight prompts them to take flight immediately. If you release them in the evening, it gives them a whole night to settle down.
Far more beneficial than purchasing ladybugs? Research shows far better results when you take the steps to conserve and enhance the activity of native species. Support your backyard ecosystem! You will see improvements in the health of your plants without introducing harmful pesticides. You can maximize your harvest as well - healthy plants produce more. Ladybugs require food for themselves and their young, obviously. An important way to encourage ladybugs is to have a source of aphids or other preferred prey for them to feed on. Since ladybugs are actively moving about and seeking food during most of the growing season, they will eventually find your garden. To support ladybugs in your yard, garden, or farm, think about ways to provide them with a variety of food and habitat: 1) Have consistently flowering plants in your space. Adult ladybugs may also feed on other foods, such as pollen and nectar. A garden environment that provides these is also important. Ladybugs can be drawn into an area by planting a variety of flowering plants. Consider planting marigolds, dahlias, daisies, asters, cosmos, Calendula, Coreopsis, tansies, yarrows, Zinnia, scented geraniums or sunflowers. Plants commonly found with extrafloral nectaries (floral nectary that continues to secret nectar throughout development) are the fruit trees, passionflower, morning glory, hibiscus, cotton, impatiens, elderberry, and vetch. These plants actually use the extrafloral nectaries to attract predators and parasites for protection from their herbivores. 2) Artificial foods, such as sugar-water sprays or mixtures of sugar/water/yeast, can be used to retain ladybugs in a garden. 3) In the vegetable garden, cabbage, lettuce, radish, tomatoes and potatoes attract aphids as well as fruit trees. Plant some of these in your garden to provide a ready source of food for the ladybugs. Ladybugs most often visit and use shallow flowers that are accessible to their mouthparts, such as dill, coriander, fennel, wild carrot, caraway, cilantro or alyssum. 4) Dandelions, which begin to pollinate earlier in the spring, may also attract ladybugs that consume plant pollen as part of their diet. 5) Leave some brush or leaves in your outdoor space for lady beetles to spend the winter in. 6) Allow some amount of aphids to be on plants.
How about creating a Ladybug Feeder for your yard!
Materials
Bamboo, about 10″ in length by 2″ in diameter.
Garden twine or chain
Raisins
1. Measure your bamboo.
2. After you’ve made your mark, use a pencil to draw a line tapering the end at an angle. This will provide a sort of umbrella to keep the rain out of your ladybug feeder.
3. Use a saw or a tool of your choice to cut the line at the angle.
4. Do the same thing on the opposite end, which leaves you with the finished bamboo. If your ends are really sharp or jagged, you can gently sand them with a piece of sandpaper.
5. Use a drill to drill holes just slightly bigger than the twine you’re using.
6. Insert twine ends through the holes, making a double knot on each end.
7. Hang your ladybug feeder and insert a couple of raisins into the bamboo feeder. The raisins will draw the ladybugs to the feeder and feed them if aphids or other insects are scarce.
8. Hang the feeder close to a food source, situating your feeder on a hook between or near the plants that are notorious aphid attractors.
Good luck!
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