Things You'll Need:
- 1 x 6 inch board
- Nails
- Washers
- Paint
- Saw
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Step 1
Cut three pieces of wood the same size and sand the edges. These will be the back and sides of the ladybug house. Nail them together.
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Step 2
Cut a piece to fit the bottom of the house and sand edges. Attach this to the box with nails. Now is the time to cut a top for the ladybug house. Sand and nail the top to the box.
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Step 3
Measure the piece for the front of the ladybug house. It should be slightly smaller than the sides and back to give the ladybugs room to enter and exit as they please. About an inch or so will do. After sanding, attach the front piece to the box with washers to allow access for adding food, water and for cleaning the house.
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Step 4
Paint the ladybug house or use a sealant so it will last through weather longer. Decorate the outside of the house if desired.
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Step 5
Affix the ladybug house to a short pole in the garden, preferably about a foot or two off the ground.
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Step 6
Nectar attracts ladybugs, so placing a small piece of sponge that has been soaked in sugar water inside the ladybug house. A water source and a little food, either some aphids or sweet alyssum, will help keep the ladybugs comfortable.
Comments
jillmaria said
on 8/25/2009 Whoa, a sweet article on how to build a ladybug house and a member sees fit to lecture on - sarcastically - other people's questions and comments. I love the article, and yes, folklore says it's good luck to have ladybugs in your garden. Save the sarcasm and preaching for another forum, justthefacts! 5 stars and a recommend!
justhefacts said
on 6/18/2009 ...slip through and nestle between. osarao, there's no such thing as "luck." anything good, such as ladybugs that we benefit from and get to enjoy, is to the complete and perfect credit of God's sovereign grace.
justhefacts said
on 6/18/2009 "house" refers to shelter, gigglefitrishy. human shelter and ladybug shelter are two different things, both designed to accommodate the occupants they are specifically designed for...so while it might seem to make sense to a typical human being--you would think--that a "house" must contain four square walls, a triangle roof, a rectangle door, picture windows, a picket fence, a hot tub, vaulted ceilings, a wet bar, and all the rest of the "cosmetic" trappings of a human beings idea of "home," human beings are not ladybugs (eureka!) and are therefore neither the standard for all living things and their preferred habitats. what is important to human beings is not necessary, nor appropriate, for wild life. yes, it's true. mommyhen42, just picture thin stackable sheets of wood separated by narrower pieces that act as spacers along the frame to allow wide enough slits for the ladybugs to s...
gigglefittrishy said
on 5/16/2009 lmao. OK, the instructions are there, close your eyes for a second and imagine the shape of a "house". Ok, now, instead of nailing each of the three pieces of wood together to form one thick piece, try assembling the wood to form three sides of this "house". Pictures will not provide help, all you need is a simple understanding of shapes. Pssst... the shape of a house is generally square or rectangular. =D
mommyhen42 said
on 1/18/2009 Step one is very confusing. you say nail them together do you mean one on top of the other to make one thick piece of wood or some other way??? Do you have any photos to show what you mean?