Ladybug Question

[celeste17]

I released two containers of Ladybugs into all of my plants a few weeks ago (at night, after watering) and saw them hang out for a few days and now it seems like they are all gone. Should I be seeing small ladybugs by now?

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[cjboffoli]

Celeste: If you were to go out to your garden and let the air out of a helium balloon, would you expect the helium to still be hanging out in your garden three weeks later? :-)

The real question is if you have any aphids. Seems like if there was still a food supply for them the ladybugs would be hanging around.

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[B-squared]

Tips for releasing ladybugs:

Scientists have found that indoor-reared ladybugs fail to find their own food when released outside so the majority of commercially available ladybugs are collected from the wild. Before releasing them into the garden, here are a few tips to help ensure that they stay where you want them:

1. Only release ladybugs after sun down or before sun-up. Ladybugs navigate by the sun and in the evenings & early mornings, they tend to stay put.

2. Pre-water the area where you are releasing them. Not only will the ladybugs appreciate the drink, free-moisture on the leaves helps the ladybugs to “stick” to plants.

3. In the warm months, it helps to chill the ladybugs in the fridge before releasing them. Ladybugs tend to crawl more than fly in colder temperatures and the overnight stay in the fridge won’t harm them in anyway.

4. On severely infested plants like roses, drape a floating row cover or thin sheet over the plant and release the ladybugs underneath. Within a day, the ladybugs will have found the aphids and will be happily munching away at them.

I have found that ladybugs really like fennel, which fortunately grows all over. i have watched the entire ladybug lifecycle occur in my fennel.

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[cjboffoli]

Excellent advice B-Squared!

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