Optimal Environments for Ladybugs
Lady beetles, more commonly known as lady bugs, are carnivorous insects that primarily feed on soft-bodied insects like aphids. Lady bugs can be found in several habitats, including forests, grasslands and beaches. Because lady bugs can control the population of harmful insects in a garden without the need for pesticides, they are a useful tool in organic gardening. Raise and introduce lady bugs into your garden by creating a suitable habitat for them.
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Indoor Environments
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Raise a population of lady bugs in an indoor habitat over the winter to release into your garden during your spring planting. Lady bug habitat kits can be purchased online and include a plastic lady bug dome, larvae, food and instructions.
Garden Plants
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Several plants and flowers --such as dill, alyssum, cornflower, fennel, and yarrow -- attract lady bugs to your garden. In addition to adding colorful flowers to your garden, many of these plants can be used as medicinal or cooking herbs.
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Outdoor Shelters and Food Sources
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Wild lady bug populations require shelter and food. To attract lady bugs to your garden you can provide flat rocks or small logs in and around your garden for them to congregate under. Additionally, you can spray a mixture of whey and yeast, called wheast, on the leaves of garden plants. The lady bugs are attracted to the smell of the mixture and consume the liquid.
Environmental Hazards
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As lady bugs are insects, they are susceptible to the toxic effects of insecticides and other poisons. If you must use an insecticide on garden pests, then be careful to spray the poison directly on the population of unwanted insects. In the alternative, place plants that repel harmful insects into your garden or introduce predators such as preying mantis into your garden.
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References
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