There are about 3,000 species of ladybugs, sometimes called lady beetles or ladybirds. Over 450 species are found in North America. They are usually recognized by their black-spotted orange back, but they can also have other colorings. Ladybugs are a gardener's friend. The adults and larvae are both predators and an adult male ladybug can easily consume up to 40 aphids in one hour. (Reader's Digest, 1001 Hints and Tips for Your Garden.) Although ladybugs have voracious appetites and heartily consume such garden pests as aphids, spider mites, mealy bugs and whiteflies, they do no damage to flower beds or vegetables.
Obtaining Ladybugs
You can attract ladybugs to your flower garden by planting marigolds, butterfly weed, roses and goldenrod. Planting cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers will lure them to your vegetable patch. Adding plants that can provide pollen and nectar for lady beetles will encourage them to stick around as these are important components of their diets.
You can also purchase ladybugs. Be certain to purchase healthy bugs. You can place them in the refrigerator for a few hours in order to sedate them before releasing them into your garden. Be mindful to release them on cool evenings when the dew is high. Ladybugs can be refrigerated for about a month if you are interested in staggering their release. Lightly spraying them down with sugar water before release will keep them slightly immobile. This will force them to quickly focus on the task of foraging.
Offer a hibernation site for ladybugs by piling dead leaves, straw or hay around plants or at the base of a fence. If ladybugs have enough food and water, they will lay eggs in a few weeks. If not, they will move on in search of other feeding grounds.
Be watchful of ladybug predators, such as ants. Keep ants at bay if you wish your ladybug population to prosper.
Understanding Their Life Cycle
Female lady beetles may lay from 20 to over 1,000 eggs during a one to three month period. This event may begin in the spring or early summer. Eggs are usually deposited near prey and are often in small clusters in protected sites. Lady beetle larvae may look dangerous but are quite harmless to humans. The larva has a verocious appetite and will molt three times before entering the pupal stage of development. After feeding on insect prey for several weeks, the larva begins to pupate, usually on a leaf. The larva attaches its rear to a leaf or branch and hangs upside down. This pupal stage can last from 3 to 12 days. When the pupa is ready, it splits its old skin and the fully formed adult ladybug emerges. The adult female ladybug can consume about 1,000 aphids during its lifetime.
Watch Out for the Bad Guys
Although most ladybugs are good companions in the garden and will only prey on insects, there are one or two bad guys. The Mexican Bean Beetle and the Squash Beetle are also a part of the ladybug family but they are not allies. These lady beetles are plant eaters and can be destructive in the garden. The Mexican Bean Beetle can be recognized by its bronze-tinged body and eight black spots. It especially likes to feast on bean plants. The Squash Beetle is partial to squash and cantaloupe and has an unusual habit of circling the leaf it is about to consume. Finding creative ways to eliminate the bad guys without harming the good guys can be quite challenging.
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