How Does a Ladybug Help Gardens?

Identification

There are 5,000 different species of ladybugs, also called lady beetles and ladybird beetles. They are less than 1/4 inch in length and may be red, orange or yellow with or without black spots. They live up to 2 to 3 years, depending on the species, and their stages of development take 4 to 6 weeks. The ladybug secreted a fluid from its joints that has a foul taste for predators; therefore, predators stay away when they see the colorful spots or shell of the ladybug. Common predators are birds such as martins, swifts and crows, insects such as ants and dragonflies, and tree frogs.

Why Farmers Love the Ladybug

The ladybug has a voracious appetite, and they love insects that eat plants. The ladybug also lays its eggs in aphid colonies. They lay 300 eggs that hatch in 2 to 5 days. The larvae feed on the aphids for up to 3 weeks before they enter the pupae stage. The adult emerges a week later. The ladybug can go through six generations in a year providing farmers and gardeners with plenty of beetles to eat aphids as well as scale insects, mealy bugs, leafhoppers and mites. A ladybug can eat 50 to 60 aphids a day and up to 5,000 in a lifetime. Aphids are their preferred food. They are great for protecting roses.

Using Ladybugs in the Garden

Water or irrigate the garden before releasing the ladybugs. Release them at night so they won't fly off. Ladybugs settle down after dark, but they are active from dawn to dusk. Grow plants and flowers close together to create humidity for the bugs. Pollen and nectar are necessary for new adults to reach maturation. You'll have to watch the garden to see if the environment is right for the ladybugs. They will leave if they don't like the conditions.

Ladybugs as Pests

Ladybugs are beneficial, but they can also become pests. Once cold weather comes, the ladybug will look for warm areas to spend the winter months in. They will crawl into cracks and around windows. They can enter into a house and crawl around the walls and windows. The best way to get rid of them is to use a vacuum or just leave them alone--they'll leave in the spring.

Resources

• Ordering Ladybugs