Attract Ladybirds Into Your Garden

Ladybirds are a great addition to both flower and vegetable gardens. They pose no harm and are actually beneficial to your plants by feasting on many plant pests such as aphids, mealybugs, leaf hoppers, scale insects and mites. Ladybirds also look for pollen for a food source, so there are numerous plants you can grow to help attract them. Flowers and herbs such as cilantro, dill, fennel, caraway, yarrow, tansy, angelica, scented geraniums, coreopsis and cosmos are good choices for luring the Ladybird.

If you want to have Ladybirds helping out in your garden, follow these tips.

• See if you can attract Ladybirds to your garden naturally. You can do this by having tulips and lilies and other cup-shaped flowers around. Ladybirds love this bloom shape due to the fact that these blooms capture water and keep things inside them cool and Ladybirds like to make their homes in them. Additional plants that can attract Ladybirds due to their shape and pollen include dill, fennel, white cosmos, and geraniums.
• You might want to consider buying Ladybirds to release in your garden. Most speciality garden stores carry them, or you can easily order them online. Since they won’t all stay put in your garden, it’s smart to purchase more than you will need. They are cheap and easy to introduce to the garden. Put them outside on a cool night and keep the plants wet for a few days in order to stop them from migrating and to encourage them to make their home in your garden. Make sure you follow the instructions that come with the Ladybirds to help boost your chances that they’ll want to make your garden their home.

Make your garden even more appealing to these beneficial insects by making an easy Ladybird feeder.

Bamboo Ladybird Feeder:

Making a Ladybird bamboo feeding station is easy. All you need is a piece of bamboo pole and some string. Use a bamboo pole that is at least 1 inch in diameter. Ideally a 2 inch diameter bamboo pole is best.

Tools Needed: Saw, Drill, Bamboo Pole, Garden string, Raisins to draw the Ladybirds to the feeder and feed them if aphids or other insects are scarce.

How to make it:

1. Use the saw to cut the bamboo pole to a length of 6 inches.
2. Cut the edges diagonally. This ensures a wider opening for ladybugs to rest on.
3. Drills 2 holes on opposite ends.
4. Insert string into the holes and create a knot on top.
5. Add raisins inside the bamboo pole.
6. Hang your new Ladybird feeder close to a food source, for example, near rose bushes as they always seem to attract loads of Aphids!

The wonderful thing about Ladybirds is that they are lovely and do no harm whatsoever in your garden. Each Ladybird can eat up to fifty aphids a day and in a year, you could have up to three generations of Ladybirds inhabiting your garden!