How to Keep Ladybugs (beetles) at Home

You can purchase and release Ladybugs (beetles) but how do you get them to stay at home in your yard and garden? Ladybugs do fly and keeping them in an area is difficult. But, by following these steps you can increase the chances that your Ladybugs will stay around and others will be attracted and want to stay too.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aphids
• Pheromone lure
• Beneficial insect garden plants
• Water
• Ladybug house, habitat

1. Purchase the ladybugs only after you see aphids on your plants. It won’t do much good to release them into a garden where there is no food. They will fly away and look for another place to lay their eggs. Eggs are laid near aphids on a plant so the newly hatched larvae will have an immediate food source.

2. Use pheromone that attract ladybug species. There are lures available commercially from some of the ladybug information sites on the internet. The liquid pheromone attractant can be put on plants or structures near the garden and plants that are susceptible to aphid and scale insect infestations. It can also be used when releasing to keep them interested in staying close by.

3. Learn to identify the pupal stages of the beetles and let them be until they have hatched. There may be times when you will find lots of them stuck to the outside wall of your house. Wait until they have exited the shells before you brush them off. The more beetles that are allowed to make it to adults, the more new ones will be in the next generation.

4. Feed them. If there are not enough aphids available then be sure to have plant pollen and nectar plants that attract beneficial insects growing in the yard. There are many different sources of information on how to plant a garden that will attract beneficials and give them a safe place to hide with extra food sources. Many beneficial insects adults need pollen or nectar to feed on.

5. Don’t kill all your aphids. They are the main food source of Ladybugs and their larvae. Only control the aphids on plants that can’t withstand an aphid onslaught. You can also knock the aphids off with plain water to reduce the damage to new growing tips on plants without harming the good bugs.

6. Give them a drink. The adults will need a water source especially in dry climates. A shallow pan or bird bath will provide water for the adults when there are no juicy insects readily available to feed on. Especially during the times when plant pollen is the only food source between aphid infestations.

7. Boxes or habitats. Some internet sites and garden stores have boxes similar to a bird house that are designed as a safe haven for ladybugs. They make a nice garden decoration and the ladybugs can be released from them.

8. If you use chemical pesticides do some research and use the ones that are safe for use around beneficial insects. There are some insecticides that are systemic, such as ‘imidicloprid’, that kill sucking insects but will not harm the lady beetles and other predatory insects.

[evgnspaces]

on 6/16/2009 Wonderful, one landed on me yesterday. :-)

[howwedoit]

on 6/16/2009 When they land on you, Lady Bugs are good luck too! Blessings, Granny

[edieness]

on 5/29/2009 Good to know. I didn't know this about ladybugs.

[Countrymom]

on 5/22/2009 When we moved into our house over 5 years ago we had massive aphids. Since we have a child who is in remission for cancer we cannot use any pesticides so opted for lady bugs. I bought 500 of them and here we are over 5 years later, and WE STILL HAVE LADY BUGS every year! :) Excellent article!

[glchan0]

on 5/22/2009 great article about ladybugs.