Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to my garden

Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybugs may be a gardener's best friend. The ladybug of brilliant color brings joy welcomed in the garden, as well as help in the fight against pests. Since medieval times, ladybugs have been valued by farmers around the world. Many people believe that the beetle was sent by God to free the cultures of insect pests. In fact, is how the ladybug got its name. Bug people dedicated to the Virgin Mary and, therefore, called "The Bug of Notre Dame", which was eventually reduced to the present name "ladybug".

The adult beetles are usually oval or shaped dome and wings have red, yellow wings or shades and variations of these colors. The number of black spots can range from lack of points to 15 points and are generally about one-quarter inch in size or smaller.

The length of the life cycle of a ladybug varies depending on temperature, humidity, and food supply. Usually, the life cycle of egg to adult is about three to four weeks, and up to six weeks during the cooler spring. During the spring of beetle adult female can lay up to three hundred eggs in a colony of aphids. The eggs hatch usually in two to five days. The newly hatched larvae feed on aphids for three weeks and then enter the chrysalis stage. About a week later, the adult ladybug emerges. There can be up to six generations of ladybugs hatched in a year.

The ladybug likes popularity in the world. These insects are fed long been regarded as a symbol of luck and fortune because of their ability to eat an enormous amount of aphids. A ladybug can eat up to 50 to 60 aphids per day. Aphids (also called plant lice) are herbivores and are one of the worst groups of pests on plants. They feed in colonies of plants and damage caused by sucking juice from leaves, stems or roots. As aphids feed, they damage plant tissue creating a loss of plant fluids and the photosynthetic tissue needed to produce energy for plant growth. Some plants have no adverse response of aphids, while others react with twisted, curled or swollen leaves or stems. Aphids also transmit many plant diseases from one plant to another.

Apart from aphids, ladybugs eat a variety of other insects and larvae of flies including white, mealy bugs, mites and other types of soft-bodied insects. They also require a source of pollen for food and for that reason are attracted to certain types of plants. Their choice of plants flowers shaped umbrella, such as dill, fennel, angelica, tansy, caraway, coriander, the yarrow, and wild carrot. Other plants that attract the cosmos ladybugs (especially white), dandelions, coreopsis, and scented geraniums.

If your garden does not have enough space to plant plants attract beetles, you can buy ladybugs many websites on the Internet and most nurseries. Before the release in your garden, here are some tips to help ensure that the ladybugs stay where you want:


Release ladybugs near infested plants after sun-up or before Sunday. They navigate by the sun and are most likely to stay on in the evening and early morning.

Water the area where you release ladybugs. They enjoy the drink and humidity on the leaves will help the ladybugs to "stick" on plants. If released in a dry garden, ladybugs will probably fly off in search of a glass instead of sticking around to eat.

In the warmer months, ladybugs cooling in the refrigerator before releasing them. This will not harm the ladybugs and they tend to explore more in colder temperatures rather than fly.
Another way to attract ladybugs in your garden is to place several boxes ladybug house around your garden. Fill the boxes with organic material such as peat or compost to encourage ladybugs to perch and lay eggs inside the box. In addition, the residential area also provides for the protection of ladybugs in the winter months.

To further promote ladybug populations, consider reducing the spraying of insecticides in your garden. Ladybugs are more sensitive to synthetic insecticides and if the majority of their food source is gone, they lay their eggs and therefore will not continue to populate.

Here are some interesting facts ladybug:

There are nearly 5,000 different species of ladybugs in the world and 400 living in North America.
A female beetle will more than 1,000 eggs in her life.
A ladybug beats its wings 85 second time when he flies.
A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs.
Ladybugs make a chemical smell and taste terrible so that birds and other predators can eat them.
The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug aging.
Ladybugs will not fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ladybug is the official insect of the State of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio and Tennessee.
As you can see, the ladybug is one of the most effective and economically important to have insects in your garden. In some cultures, see ladybugs in the garden indicates a bumper harvest, an indication of good weather and good luck omen. Create an attractive environment for ladybugs and they are sure to provide charm and the fight against pests in your garden for years to come.