Ladybirds! Every child loves the sight of ladybirds (also called ladybugs or lady beetles), they're such charming little bugs and they're so sweet and unassuming, they're one of the best bugs to show to your kids as a teaching tool about insects because they're very gentle, usually quite slow, they've got vibrant colours and they don't (usually) bite!! Amazing!!
In Australia we have a many varieties of ladybirds - about 500 species in fact; just like we have hundreds of species of native bees!! They are helpful in your garden for two MASSIVE reasons:
Aphids and mealybugs can cause a lot of damage in the garden, but the good news is, ladybugs and their larvae love to eat them! First things first, let's talk about aphids. Aphids are small insects that suck on the sap of plants; they nibble through the outer layer of the stem and suck on the vessels inside which the plant uses to transport sugars. But they're not actually looking for the sugars, per-se; they need protein too (just like all animals and plants) and because they get so much more sugar than protein in their meal to correct the balance in their little bodies they often excrete the sugar out, which leads to a sticky substance left along the plant stem which can also attract ants - sometimes called 'honeydew' (you can often tell you have an aphid problem if your veggie patch suddenly becomes overrun with ants)! Aphids can be green, black, and sometimes even yellow - you can tell that you have aphids because your plants will look sickly and you will be able to see large clusters of small insects around the parts of the plant where the leaves meet the stem and on the underside of the leaves.
Some types of aphid 'woolly aphids' make a waxy secretion that looks like cotton, those are easily confused with another insect that also makes waxy 'wool' - mealybugs. Mealybugs are very similar (and closely related) to aphids and they both get eaten by ladybugs and their larvae, so except for curiosity - there's no real need to distinguish between them in your home garden. Woolly aphids particularly like fruit trees. I have some currently making their home on my apple tree. Also, unfortunately for me; but fortunately for you I have some mealy bugs (which are a type of scale insects) hanging out on one of my indoor ficus plants! So you can have a quick look at the difference in these two images:
Attracting Ladybirds is very similar to attracting bees which I wrote about here. Ladybugs are quite sensitive to cold, hot, and dry; so you'll need to provide a place for them to hide and huddle - they will be attracted to your bee bath and bee hotel you made from my other post. You can also make your very own ladybird feeder with a bit of bamboo tube and twine like the image to the right > Ladybirds like to drink lots of water and eat sugary things like raisins, so if you put those in there they will shelter from the rain inside your feeder!
Because they need a lot of shelter, planting trees or shrubs that have BIG leaves or tight foliage are a good start - such as geraniums. that way the ladybugs will feel safe and protected underneath their foliage. Shower them with water outside of the heat of the day (morning and late afternoon) so that the ladybugs have enough time to drink from the droplets before they evaporate (shrubs with bigger leaves will be able to hold on to water on the undersides of their leaves for longer). Geraniums are also a great choice for a novice gardener as they have pretty flowers and are VERY easy to grow and propagate. Have some fun with cuttings!
If you're well into supporting our Aussie natives like I am - wattles are also a great choice for attracting ladybugs.
Ladybugs are suckers for that sweet sugary substance called nectar - so fragrant plants like herbs and flowers are a good way to attract them. Pretty much anything that smells nice will likely attract them; so pick whatever you best like to add some colour and smells to your yard and beneficial bugs will follow!! Some well known plants you can use to attract ladybugs are:
Go gently friends, peace.
In Australia we have a many varieties of ladybirds - about 500 species in fact; just like we have hundreds of species of native bees!! They are helpful in your garden for two MASSIVE reasons:
1. They're one of our native pollinators and play a very important role in the ecosystem
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| Vital pollinators! won't do much good on a blanket though! |
2. They (and all stages of their larvae) eat aphids! Which helps keep their numbers down naturally in your garden
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| Ladybug larvae look HARDCORE!! Check it out!! ^ |
Aphids and mealybugs can cause a lot of damage in the garden, but the good news is, ladybugs and their larvae love to eat them! First things first, let's talk about aphids. Aphids are small insects that suck on the sap of plants; they nibble through the outer layer of the stem and suck on the vessels inside which the plant uses to transport sugars. But they're not actually looking for the sugars, per-se; they need protein too (just like all animals and plants) and because they get so much more sugar than protein in their meal to correct the balance in their little bodies they often excrete the sugar out, which leads to a sticky substance left along the plant stem which can also attract ants - sometimes called 'honeydew' (you can often tell you have an aphid problem if your veggie patch suddenly becomes overrun with ants)! Aphids can be green, black, and sometimes even yellow - you can tell that you have aphids because your plants will look sickly and you will be able to see large clusters of small insects around the parts of the plant where the leaves meet the stem and on the underside of the leaves.
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| These are Scale insects - note their oval bodies with protruding antennas. |
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| These are woolly aphids, they walk around the leaves where they are not covered in the waxy coating, but they are small and hard to see. |
So now that we know what ladybirds are good for, let's get down to business:
How do we attract ladybugs to our garden?
Attracting Ladybirds is very similar to attracting bees which I wrote about here. Ladybugs are quite sensitive to cold, hot, and dry; so you'll need to provide a place for them to hide and huddle - they will be attracted to your bee bath and bee hotel you made from my other post. You can also make your very own ladybird feeder with a bit of bamboo tube and twine like the image to the right > Ladybirds like to drink lots of water and eat sugary things like raisins, so if you put those in there they will shelter from the rain inside your feeder!
Because they need a lot of shelter, planting trees or shrubs that have BIG leaves or tight foliage are a good start - such as geraniums. that way the ladybugs will feel safe and protected underneath their foliage. Shower them with water outside of the heat of the day (morning and late afternoon) so that the ladybugs have enough time to drink from the droplets before they evaporate (shrubs with bigger leaves will be able to hold on to water on the undersides of their leaves for longer). Geraniums are also a great choice for a novice gardener as they have pretty flowers and are VERY easy to grow and propagate. Have some fun with cuttings!
If you're well into supporting our Aussie natives like I am - wattles are also a great choice for attracting ladybugs.
Ladybugs are suckers for that sweet sugary substance called nectar - so fragrant plants like herbs and flowers are a good way to attract them. Pretty much anything that smells nice will likely attract them; so pick whatever you best like to add some colour and smells to your yard and beneficial bugs will follow!! Some well known plants you can use to attract ladybugs are:
1.Yarrow. Yarrow is a great plant to have in your garden because you can use it for a bunch of medicinal purposes too (like tightening the skin around wounds) and it also attracts bees and other pollinators, which we know are very important for our ecosystem.
2. Dill. Dill is a great addition to your garden, it's a really healthy flavour to add to your meals and I think it smells fantastic!!
3. Parsley. Parsley is another great edible herb for your garden, for novice gardeners it is a fantastic choice as it is very hardy and can grow in a wide range of conditions - it also attracts many beneficial bugs (like hover flies and native bees) to your garden so it's a great one to have in a pot to move about to problem areas to naturally control pests.
Ladybugs, like all pollinators, are a great part of our ecosystem, and one we should work on conserving. Similarly to bees, ladybugs need our help to stop their habitats becoming isolated - that means however small your pocket of the world is, if you can make a little haven for Ladybugs hopefully we can bridge the gaps between habitats that have formed from human activity and prevent these little guys' numbers from dwindling! Please post pictures of your ladybug-friendly garden or your ladybird feeders and native bee hotels below! Looking forward to hearing from you.
Go gently friends, peace.
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