In early June, we released the first round of ladybugs into the garden. Their presence brings an instant smile to my son's face and we love to see their little red bodies maneuvering through the plants. As the garden grows we have faint hope that the ladybugs will feast on the stinkbug eggs and larvae as well as the normal garden pests!
Tips for releasing ladybugs into the garden:
- upon arrival, place lady bugs in the fridge
- mist all plants at dusk
- just as the sun sets, open the ladybug container outside and release bugs on to plants. They are easy to handle, just gently place them onto a leaf with water. The ladybug will drink the water and find a nice place to sleep/eat and will also find a mate!
- ample water will help keep the ladybugs in your garden. I mist the plants morning and night, so far so good!
Keep an eye out for little yellow eggs under your leaves. When the ladybugs hatch they look like something you want to squish/flick/remove - but don't! The ladybug larvae are just as hungry for garden pests!
How to buy ladybugs: Call your local garden center to see if they have them in stock. I purchased mine through Amazon. If you plan on releasing the lady bugs in succession make sure to purchase between June & September. Ladybugs purchased before June will only survive a few days after arrival, while those purchased after early June will keep a few months in the fridge. Expect some dead-loss, no matter when or where you buy them.
Check out the busy ladybugs in my garden:
If you're interested in learning more about ladybugs and other garden critters check out: