In a recent post, I talked about buying ladybugs. Apparently, lots of people are interested in doing this, but don’t have the first clue about ‘em.
Let me help!
Container Gardening
At our old house, I gardened exclusively in containers (we had a huge backyard, so I’m not quite sure why I did this)… We bought ladybugs when I saw them at OSH on a whim when I was just a wee baby gardener - I thought it was fun. So I followed the directions on the tub and watered everything down and released them after sunset. Surprisingly, many stuck around for a while, and I never remember any bug trouble at the old house.
Bugs are a symptom
When we moved into our house in August 2006, Chris and I planted a gold flame honeysuckle out front, and it always sort of just limped along, never doing real well. As I’ve learned through careful observation over the last couple years in my gardens, aphids in particular are attracted to stressed and diseased plants, and this honeysuckle was covered with them. We figured out that the sprinkler main near the honeysuckle was leaking, and nearly drowning it– hence the reason the aphids moved in – the plant was stressed. Then we introduced the ladybugs to the buffet.
Ladybugs as a part of pest management
Since the realization that bugs like aphids are usually a sign of a stressed plant, I am always on the lookout for them and other bugs. The more I learn about how they all work together, the more amazed I am. We haven’t used pesticides of any kind in our garden, and aside from squishing certain bad caterpillars and grasshoppers (we leave their carcasses for the ants and birds), we pretty much just let them be and let nature take its course. We brought in ladybugs to assist, but the hopes are that we won’t need to use imported beneficial insects forever and that our property will begin to take care of itself at some point, attracting bugs like ladybugs naturally as needed. This may be pie-in-the sky thinking because all of the heavy use for fertilizers and pesticides in my neighborhood…
Ladybugs, while voracious predators, will actually mate and lay eggs amongst your garden if given the proper setting (no pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, plenty of cover, and access to water). Their larvae are even more voracious predators!
We’ve used the praying mantis egg sac in the past, and had good luck with them as well.
Where to buy
I have never found lady bugs at Home Depot or Lowe’s, so I don’t know if they carry them or not (we don’t shop there anyway). OSH has a small minifridge device in the front of the store usually that holds ladybugs at a cool temperature until purchase. OSH also carries praying mantis egg sacs and worms. Mail order sources like Peaceful Valley Farm Supply carries an army of beneficial insects.
Price
I paid $6.99 for a tub of ladybugs at OSH, but don’t mistake the tub for being full. It had wood shavings and some ladybugs in it, the pictures in this post should give you an idea of what it holds. For my ¼ acre, one tub is plenty of ladybugs.
Directions for release
Wait until the sun sets and it’s beginning to actually get dark. If it’s still light, your newly acquired ladybugs will fly away. Wet everything down really well, leaves and everything. The ladybugs are hungry and thirsty. Release them on plants that have the most severe problems first.
Viola!
Any more questions about ladybugs?
