About Ladybugs
Ladybugs are a popular and appealing little bug. Not only are they a great way to control garden pests naturally, but they are popular with children due to the ubiquitous nursery rhyme about their little burning houses. Ladybugs are fascinating creatures and the more you know about them, the more interesting they become. Does this Spark an idea?
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Misconceptions
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While most people are aware that ladybugs eat aphids and protect gardens and crops, they think that ladybugs also can destroy plants. In fact, ladybugs do not eat leaves at all, but stick entirely to aphids and, in a pinch, other small insects. They are completely harmless to humans and flowers.
History
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Ladybugs got their name in the Middle Ages during a terrible aphid infestation. Farmers gathered together to pray to the Virgin Mary for help. Shortly thereafter, ladybugs arrived and began eating the aphids and the crops were saved. The farmers named the little red beetles ladybugs after the Virgin Mary, who they believed had sent the insects as an answer to their prayers.
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Features
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Ladybugs are a type of beetle. They have a hard, bright red shell with black spots on it. They also taste and smell terrible to birds, so they have few natural predators. They chew side to side instead of up and down like humans, and they can live up to 3 years as long as they eat enough to last them through their winter hibernation.
Benefits
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Ladybugs are a great bug to have around flowerbeds and gardens. They keep small, crop-destroying pests like aphids under control and can even discourge birds and other larger pests from consuming crops if the ladybugs are present in high enough numbers. They are also completely harmless to humans and fun for children to catch and observe.
Types
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There are about 5,000 types of ladybugs and 400 of those live in North America. They look fairly similar to an untrained eye, but differ mainly in body shape--oval or round--and spot patterns.
Effects
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The presence of ladybugs can actually be the difference between a successful growing season and a total failure. In the 1880s, ladybugs singlehandedly took on an imported "scale insect" that was destroying the citrus crops all over California. In less than 2 years, the infestation was eliminated and the trees began to bear fruit again, saving the California citrus industry. This type of feat is accomplished on a much smaller scale in gardens around the country every year.
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