Ladybugs in the garden are our allies in the fight against plant pests.Attracting ladybugs to the garden is a well-known way to deal with aphidsOne ladybug larva can eat several hundred aphids in 3-4 weeks, and the adult figure eats several dozen of them a day. But aphids are not the only food of ladybugs. See what other pests can be eaten by ladybugs, andhow to lure ladybugs into the gardento help us protect plants. Here are a few tricks to make ladybugs appear in your garden!
Seven-point ladybug eating aphids
Fig. pixabay.com
What pests does a ladybug eat?
Ladybugs are the most famous beneficial insects that help in the fight against no less known pests, such as aphids. One ladybug larvae eat between 200 and 600 aphids over a period of 3-4 weeks before turning into a chrysalis. An adult ladybug eats even more a day, even about 50 aphids. And it can live from a few to even several months. After all, during the entire development cyclea ladybug can eat over 5,000 aphids ! And not only adults but also various developmental stages of this pest: -)
Althoughaphids is the most popular food of ladybugs , it is not the only one.
Other plant pests eaten by ladybugs include:
- cupcakes,
- wheelbarrows,
- mealybugs,
- honey,
- spider veins,
- sometimes also smaller caterpillars.
We don't have to worry about the excess of ladybugs in the garden . In the absence of food (that is, plant pests eaten by ladybirds), they experience cannibalism. Ladybugs start to eat each other and thus their numbers are self-regulated.
Ladybug larva eating aphids
Fig. pixabay.com
What do ladybugs and their larvae look like?
In order to successfully lure ladybugs to the gardenand use their help, it is worth first finding out what a ladybug looks like. Because although the appearance of an adult ladybug is well known to most people,useful ladybug larvae often die, treated by us as pests
Ladybugs are small beetlesfrom the ladybug family (Coccinellidae). There are over 5,000 species of ladybugs all over the world, and there are 80 of them in Poland.In our gardens, however, mainly 2 of them are often found: the seven-point ladybug and the colon ladybug.
Adult ladybugs have a convex body and metallic shiny covers - red, yellow or black, usually with clearly visible spots.Seven-dot ladybugcan be 6-8 mm long, bright red cover with 7 dots, with 3 dots on each cover and the seventh centrally located, half on each cover .
Ladybug eating aphids
Fig. pixabay.com
Ladybug a coloncan be distinguished mainly by a smaller number of spots, which it has only two (one on each of the covers), as well as smaller sizes (body length 3.5 to 5, 5 mm). However, there is considerable variation in color in colons and some colons may have black covers with 2-3 reddish or yellow spots on each cover or orange-yellow covers with black spots arranged in three transverse rows.
Ladybug larvae differ significantly from adult insectsTheir body is elongated, black, with a clearly defined head and 3 pairs of legs. In appearance, ladybug larvae do not look as nice as adult ladybugs and, unfortunately, are destroyed by gardeners as pests. That is why it is worth taking a good look at the photos of the ladybug larvae and never destroy them.
Ladybug larva
Fig. pixabay.com
Ladybugs also lay yellow, oval eggsin the number of about 30-50 pieces on various parts of plants attacked by aphids. Also, do not remove the eggs like in the picture, especially if there are a lot of aphids on the plants. There is a reasonladybugs willingly lay their eggs on plants attacked by aphidsNew ladybug larvae that hatch from them will have access to their favorite food.
Ladybug eggs
Fig. Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5 Ways To Lure Ladybugs To Your Garden
1. First of all - don't kill!
If we want ladybugs to stay in our garden permanently, first of all, let's create favorable conditions for their existence. This means that you mustabandon pest control with chemical insecticides , which are also lethal for ladybugs.
2. Create natural hiding places for ladybugs
We should also remember that beetles, such as ladybugs, hide in the garden in litter, among thick shrubs, in hedges and other shady places.We will help ladybugs by leaving some fallen leaves in such places , which will be a shelter for them. Also, do not mow the grass too low in autumn, leaving it slightly taller for the winter.A safe shelter for ladybugs for the winterwe can also create small holes that are filled with slightly pressed fallen leaves and straw or dry grass.
The seven-dot ladybug seeks shelter in the grass
Fig. depositphotos.com
Ladybugs can also hibernate in the bark of trees , in composters and under stones. Some individuals also look for shelter in farm buildings, sheds, attics and garden arbors. However, those found at the shutters or under the windowsills, unfortunately, usually do not live until spring.
3. Hang the insect house
A house for beneficial insects, mounted by a fence or under trees, can also be a good idea. The house will be used not only by ladybugs but also, for example, by wild bees, and a carefully made insect house can be an interesting garden decoration.Ladybugs for wintering eagerly choose empty tubes , which can be made, for example, from bamboo shoots. Sometimes it is enough to simply place a few such pipes in quiet, shady corners of the garden or choose an insect house with round holes made of pipes.
4. Spray the plants with sugar water
If the aphids have already appeared in our garden, you can also spray them with sugar water. The sugar water is sweet, as is the honeydew produced by the aphids. This is probably whyladybugs cling to plants sprayed with fresh waterFor this purpose, you give half a teaspoon of sugar per liter of water and spray plants attacked by aphids. Such spraying has to be repeated once a week, and the ladybugs will surely appear soon.
However, this method is a bit risky, as the sweet medium will not only attract ladybugs but can also favor pests. At least that's what some experts say. Therefore, let's try this method first on a small number of plants.
5. Tie yellow ribbons to the plants
A good solution seems to be to use the fact thatladybugs cling to white and yellow flowers Probably, these colors are attractive to them for some reason. That is why it is worth sowing and planting yellow flowers, letting the sometimes blooming yellow dandelions grow in the garden, a flower meadow is also a good idea.
Yellow dandelion flowers attract ladybugs
Fig. pixabay.com
But we don't always have to grow yellow flowers. A simpler way is described in the tips on the website of the Polish Allotment Association by the gardening instructor Filip Roman. It turns out that instead of sowing yellow flowers,in order to attract ladybugs to specific plants, it is worth attaching yellow ribbons or ribbons to their twigsSuch as you can buy in haberdashery or a fabric store. It is important that the shade of yellow is vivid, bright. The yellow color will attract ladybugs to your garden and reduce the occurrence of aphids: -)
