Ladybugs Your Best Natural Pest Control

Ladybugs, also known as lady beetles or ladybird beetles are beneficial in the garden by controlling pests without the use of pesticides. They feed mainly on aphids, alfalfa weevils, bean thrips, mealy bugs, mites, and other soft bodied insects and larvae. Ladybugs protect your plants and flowers from destruction by devouring these pesky culprits.

Lady beetles are safe to use in organic gardening. You don't have to worry about using toxic chemicals, which can be harmful to you and your family. Read on to learn more about using these helpful insects to control pests in your home garden.

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The most common pest in the garden is the aphid, a tiny insect that feeds upon the young leaves and stems of garden crops and ornamental plants. The destruction from aphids causes plant leaves to curl and dry out. Ladybugs feast upon colonies of aphids and are capable of eating up to 50 to 60 per day. Adults can survive on nectar and pollen for short periods, but they need a supply of aphids or other insects for egg production. They can lay up to 50 eggs per day that develop into larvae. The larvae can eat 10-50 aphids per day. In total, lady beetles can eat up to 5000 aphids during their lifetime.

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You can encourage ladybugs to come to your garden by planting their favorite plants and flowers. Among their favorites are: alfalfa, angelica, anise, fennel, dill, cilantro, caraway, tansy, wild carrot and yarrow. They are also attracted to cosmos, coreopsis, lavender, marigold, scented geraniums and sunflowers. Besides providing nectar and pollen, these plants provide shelter for ladybugs. As long as your garden provides areas of shelter, plenty of aphids and water, "little ladies" will be attracted to your garden.

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If you want to populate your garden quicker, you can purchase live lady beetles at home garden centers, through mail-order catalogs and online. The problem with importing the insects to the garden is keeping them from flying away when you open the container.

Ladybugs should be placed in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours before releasing them. It makes them lethargic, so they will move slower when released. Water the garden before releasing the ladybugs so they will have water to drink and it helps them stick to the leaves. Some packages of ladybugs include a nutritional supplement to spray on the leaves before releasing them.

Lady beetles travel in the sunlight, so release them in the evening after the sun goes down. This gives them time to settle in for the night and become acquainted with their new home. Be sure to read instructions enclosed in the package for best results.

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Learn about using ladybugs in your garden.

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