A Homemade Habitat for Ladybugs

Making a habitat for ladybugs is easy.

Ladybugs, also known as ladybird beetles, are usually red in color with black spots. However, you can also find them in other colors, such as orange, brown, gray and yellow; and they can have stripes instead of spots. Ladybugs are omnivorous, eating plants and bugs. They are also known to cannibalize if hunger overtakes them. These beetles are beneficial garden insects, as they get rid of several garden pests. Watching ladybirds in a homemade habitat can be an interesting hobby for people who are keen on understanding their behavioral traits.

Making the Habitat

Take a rounded container with a lid to make the habitat for the ladybird beetles. It can be a transparent plastic container or a glass jar with a lid. Poke holes in the lid to ensure that the bugs get air and will not suffocate. Line the lid with a fine mesh to prevent the beetles from escaping. You can even make a homemade habitat using an old shoebox. Cut openings into the box to make a door and a couple of windows. On the inside of the box, fix a fine mesh all around to prevent the insects from escaping. Glue the mesh in place using a hot glue gun.

Decorating the Habitat

Try to make the habitat as natural as possible by layering the bottom of the container with freshly cut grass from your garden. Place tree bark and small twigs so there is place for the bugs to climb on. Instead of fresh grass, you can use hay if you like. You can even place branches with leaves in the container, if it is large enough to hold them.

Finding Ladybugs

Scour your garden for ladybugs. You will find them near flowering plants and vegetables, such as corn, apples and potatoes. Catch them using a fine mesh net or your fingers. Be gentle not to squeeze them, as they can be crushed easily. Alternately, you can check out companies online that specialize in shipping live insects.

Feeding Ladybugs

Ladybugs love to eat aphids. Check the local pet store to see if you can find live aphids, and give them to ladybugs. Ladybugs will even eat mites and leafhoppers. Some ladybird beetles are known to consume insect eggs. You can also feed them plants that are sweet, such as sweet alyssums. Some ladybug breeders soak raisins in water and give them as food. Ensure that there is water for the insects in the homemade habitat by introducing a damp cotton ball. Mist the cotton ball daily with dechlorinated water. You can dechlorinate the water by keeping tap water standing in an open container for around 48 hours.

Habitat Maintenance

Clean the habitat every alternate week to remove excreta. Wipe the inside with a damp cloth. Discard the old substrate and replace with a new one. Also, replace the twigs and bark. Ladybird beetles have a short lifespan of around two to three days. Remove the dead ladybugs from the habitat every day.

References

• Backyard Wildlife Habitat: Ladybug Houses
• Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories: Ladybugs
• University of Arizona: Ladybird Beetle Rearing