3rd Annual Ladybug release
15.6 years ago aphids, kids, ladybugs
In case you missed the first and second annual lady bug release, you can follow those posts. We have never had a serious aphid or spider mite problem and I like to feel our annual release of lady bugs is the reason why. Either way, great entertainment for the girls for a couple hours for a $6.00 bag of lady bugs.
Lady bugs sometimes naturally choose to wander from the location where you release them and may just take residence in your neighbors yard, so I have thought about releasing them in my neighbors yard so they will end up in mine. Fortunately there are a few tricks to help entice your lady bugs from leaving your garden.
Give them a nap. Before you release them put them in your refrigerator for at least a couple hours. This will make them go asleep (dormant) until you are ready to release them. This way when you bring them outside in their sleepy stupor they may be more inclined to check out your garden before heading over your neighbors.
Feed them. After watering your garden before releasing them spray the ground with some sugar water. This will entice them to feast on that while waiting for a the aphids and spider mites to show up.
Choose the right time. Put your lady bugs out as the sun is falling and ensure that they are shaded from sun when releasing. This will prevent them from hiding from the hot sun and possibly finding a new place to make home.
Encourage your neighbors to have their own lady bug releases. One of our friends and neighbors had a great time with their girls releasing lady bugs last year and fortunately they are close enough that we may be sharing some bugs from both of our releases.
In the past I have had good results with the releases maybe seeing 30-40 lady bugs still crawling around on my plants the next day. This year had great results with hundreds of lady bugs in my aphid killing army.
Tags: cheap, outdoor plants, vegetables
15.6 years ago
We love releasing lady bugs. They never stick around, but it is fun for the boys.
15.6 years ago
Just avoid non-native Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle. Their bite hurts and have they have other issues. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hse-fact/1030.html
15.6 years ago
I had a male lady bug fly on my hand and it reminded me of that India Aire song, “Little Things”, in which you appreciate the little things as they are. I see thats what your doing and helping to preserve it. Very nice!
15.6 years ago
Laddybugs are cool. I got some fish that look like laddybugs.
15.6 years ago
Hmm walked outside and found some ladybugs around the property. Now I know where they came from!
15.6 years ago
I love Ladybugs and seem to be blessed with my own LB Factory as every spring for some years now I will find about fifty or more on the inside of my screened in porch. When I see them I carefully collect them a few at a time in a jar and release them to the outdoors. I’ve never discovered where they hatch from but consider them to be good luck for my raised bed gardens.
15.6 years ago
I love ladybugs. I tried them in my indoor garden, but I didn’t provide enough food for them. Ladybug releases sound wonderful for my local area.
15.6 years ago
That’s great! what a fun thing for the kids to do in the garden. I usually buy some live critters (phytoseulus) to eat the red-spider mites in the greenhouse. Works brilliantly and you don’t have to spray!
15.6 years ago
Where did you buy your ladybugs?
15.6 years ago
Helpful information, thanks for sharing. We get Ladybugs in big numbers in late summer some years.
15.6 years ago
There’s just no downside to ladybugs. They’re pretty, friendly, and they help keep your garden pest free.The only downside is there’s never enough of them!
15.6 years ago
Great info!!
15.6 years ago
I bought my ladybugs at Fred Meyer for $6 for “Over 1000 ladybugs” though I noticed them on sale at Home Depot that last time I was there for $4 (on sale from $10) for the same amount.
15.6 years ago
I’ve been curious about buying small bags of a few hundred ladybugs for $6 at my nearby garden center. I thought for sure that they would just fly away, but you gave good tips on how to keep them around! Thanks!
15.5 years ago
You can buy or build ladybug houses and put lady bug food in them and this will help keep them around longer. They like places to hide where they can huddle in large groups. I bought 4 very nicely crafted wooden LB houses from someone on ebay for 7 bucks a piece and they are great. I still see a few ladybugs hanging out from our last release one year ago and I have not fed them at all. I am going to release more soon and try spaying sugar water in my houses and see if the results are even better.
15.5 years ago
Thanks for the tips. I will be releasing my ladybugs tonight! I’m also going to buy a bag of ladybugs for my friend’s little girls so they can have their own ladybug release party. They are very into bugs and I figure it would be a neat birthday present.
14.7 years ago
We do this every year with the kids and hadn’t even thought about any of that! great tips thanks!