Helpful Garden Companions: Ladybug

Ladybug on clover

Many of the insects we find in the garden seem intent on eating, drilling holes in, sucking the sap from, or otherwise destroying our cherished plants, so it is a welcome relief to meet those that are actually beneficial to the garden.  Some pollinate flowers, without which service we would not have many of the fruits and vegetables we eat; and others protect our plants from the destructive insects.

One of those beneficial insects is the ladybug (also called lady beetle or ladybird beetle).  They help protect flowers and crops by eating insect pests like aphids, plant mites and other sap-feeding insects. There are hundreds of different species of ladybugs, some with different numbers of spots, or different colors. They may specialize in which insects they eat.  Many of them also eat nectar or pollen from flowering plants. There are a few species of ladybugs that actually do feed on plants, like the Mexican bean beetle and the squash beetle.

Baby ladybugs

Ladybugs eat the insect pests both as an adult, and in the larval stage. They can eat about 50 aphids a day, and may eat up to 5,000 in their lifetime. The larvae look rather ferocious, spiny and black with bright spots, but are harmless to humans.  Their appearance is often compared to a teensy alligator.

Some species of ladybugs have only one generation in a year's time, while others have several generations over the course of the growing season.  So you may see all life stages of these insects at the same time.

You can encourage ladybugs to make your garden their home by not using insecticides, which will kill them as well as other insects, and by offering them the food, water and shelter they need.

Ladybugs, in addition to insects, need nectar and pollen from flowers. Many of their favorites are composite flowers: small flowers that come in shallow clusters. Offer them access to plants such as dill, fennel, caraway, mint, cilantro, parsley, tansy, yarrow, chives, cosmos, marigold, coreopsis, clover, and dandelion.  If you grow more culinary herbs than you need for your kitchen, then you can allow some to flower for the beneficial insects.  (Ordinarily of course, you would pinch back and harvest your herbs to stop them from flowering, as it changes the flavor, and not for the better. )

For ladybugs, the ideal source of water is small puddles of water on leaves and rocks from rain or watering. Some people fill a saucer with pebbles and water for them. Birdbaths and ponds may be too steep-sided for tiny insects to get a safe drink.

Ladybugs shelter in loose mulch, and under rocks, fences, tree roots and boards. These places give them a safe place to hide from predators, wind and rain, and shelter to overwinter.

Make sure your garden welcomes ladybugs, and you'll have lots of help with controlling insect pests.