Lady Bugs
They were everywhere, recently, these little flying bugs. All over the back wall in my garden shed. On top of the rotting and decaying felled tree by one of my garden beds. They even have been known to spend time in my house.
Yet, these bugs are most welcome just about anywhere, as they are very helpful for my garden. Yes, the Coccinellidae is a pretty neat bug to have around.
The Coccinellidae, also known as the Ladybeetle, or Lady bug, is Latin for “little red sphere.” In British Commonwealth countries, such as England, Australia, Canada, etc, it is known as the Ladybird. Although not a true bug, this little insect can be found worldwide, and has over 5,000 species.
They are easy to spot here in our area of the world, with its small oval shaped body and six short legs. Although there are some yellow lady bugs, you will commonly find red ones here in Georgia, with black spots across the back, or across their wing covers. Their tiny legs, head and antennae are also black.
These little insects are usually the favorite of children, as well as gardeners the world over. In fact, their benefits to the garden are many. Lady bugs are one of the hardest working insects in your garden, as they help to combat the many pests that you don’t want.
Prize winning roses in your flower beds? Better have some lady bugs around! Hibiscus growing on your property? Lady bugs are essential to helping them look their best.
Aphids are often times the bane of a gardener’s joy, as they destroy the petals of beautiful roses and majestic hibiscus. Chemicals do indeed help out, but can be harmful to other insects and wildlife. That’s where our friend the Lady bug comes in to help us, as they devour up to 60 aphids a day.
The “little red sphere” also eats a variety of other harmful insects, such as scale, mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, and mites.
Attracting lady bugs to your garden is not a difficult task, it simply involves having a source of pollen for their food. These food sources can include flowers such as cosmos, yarrow, tansy, fennel, and the herbs dill, cilantro and wild carrots. In fact, if you have flowers, you will probably have lady bugs, so don’t worry too much about this.
The life cycle of a lady bug is relatively short, although some have been known to live up to three years. In fact, there may be 5 to 6 generations of lady bugs living in your garden each summer, as the average time from egg to adults is only 3 to 4 weeks.
To escape the cold weather during hibernation, lady bugs will often seek the warmth of a tree bark or other crevice. On warm winter days, or early spring, lady bugs often come out of these warm crevices in search of food.
So, when you see a lady bug flying around inside your house one warm spring day, resist the temptation to do away with this little garden warrior. Instead, help it find its way outside, and it will help you in your garden. Enjoy!