In order to start a ladybug garden, you need to learn how to identify these friendly small insects which normally vary in terms of color such as yellow, orange, bright red, solid black or scarlet as well as having small black spots that you can see on their wings. Usually a ladybug (also known as lady beetles or ladybirds) has an oval body shape while the black spots on its wing are also vary in terms of number and size. Ladybugs can assist you in protecting your flower beds against aphids as well as other insects. In addition to having ladybug garden, the species also add some attraction to your garden and making it looks unique. It is not easy for us to recognize the Ladybug larvae but usually it has six legs along with blue-black color with orange spots. Make sure that you learn to know the larvae as to not accidentally spray the species using insecticide or even crushing them as if they are aphid or other insect larvae. Normally, ladybugs eat primarily on soft-body and scale insects such as aphids and also having the capability of eating up to five-thousand aphids as long as they live. Meanwhile, female ladybugs can produce three-hundred eggs at one go. Its larvae will take at least three to five days to hatch but for standard larvae, it needs. Apart from that, the larvae need at least three to five days to hatch. Besides that, the Larvae will take at least two to three weeks before it managed to pupate into adult ladybugs. Below are some tips that could help you in starting a ladybug garden.
To start a ladybug garden, you need:
- Garden Hose
- Nozzles and attachments
- Ladybugs
- Flowering Plants
Starting a Ladybug Garden
Tips for Starting Ladybug Garden
- The first thing that you need to do is to know how to attract ladybugs to your garden.
- You might use any of the ladybugs
- Apart from that, ladybugs feed on aphids.
- Ladybugs do not only eats aphids but also depends on the suitable pollen as the cat’s food source.
- You should also bear in mind that it also requires several types of flowering plants that attract them to come to your garden such as dill, cilantro, yarrow, wild carrot, angelica, cosmos, geraniums and dandelions.
- You might use any of the ladybugs
If you want to attract ladybugs to your garden, do not ever use any insecticides in your garden.
- Aphids are the natural food source required by ladybug in order for it to populate. Therefore, you should avoid killing any of the larvae.
- The aphids will be checked by the ladybugs itself thus keeping them under control without the need for the usage of insecticides.
- The aphids will be checked by the ladybugs itself thus keeping them under control without the need for the usage of insecticides.
- Apart from that, you can purchase ladybugs directly from your nearby nursery as well as by ordering them through the internet.
- By doing this, it can help you established ladybug population in short period.
- You must ensure to keep the ladybugs in moist condition by adding a few drops of water. If possible, you can place them in your refrigerator vegetable crisper before you can start to release the ladybugs.
- By doing this, it can help you established ladybug population in short period.
Do not rear your ladybugs indoors as it will not be able to survive whenever you released them outdoors. Therefore, make sure that you purchase wild ladybugs which are only collected from the outdoors environment.
- You must prepare to water your ladybug garden in the afternoon or early evening in for them the much needed hydration and also enables them to be better attached to the plants.
- The suitable time for releasing the ladybugs is right after the sun has set so that you can avoid them from being eaten by birds before they settle down in your garden.
- Once the ladybugs have enough rest during the night and able to re-hydrate, they will be more than ready to eat the aphids that live in your garden.
- As for plants that have been infected by aphids, you can place some netting over it before allowing the ladybugs to loose under it in order to get rid of the aphids.
Facts related to ladybugs that you need to know,
- If you notice the black spots on the wings of your ladybugs, you should not be surprise if it is gone after a few years because it will somehow fade as the ladybugs age.
- Did you know that the ladybugs wings move very fast at a rate of 85 times per second similar to the way a hummingbird fly.
- A ladybug normally will live for at least three years.
- You will find that the size of the male ladybug is much smaller than the female.
- If you notice the black spots on the wings of your ladybugs, you should not be surprise if it is gone after a few years because it will somehow fade as the ladybugs age.
- The suitable time for releasing the ladybugs is right after the sun has set so that you can avoid them from being eaten by birds before they settle down in your garden.
