Ladybugs (also known as lady beetles) are one of the most effective ways to organically manage soft-bodied pests in your garden. These pests include aphids, mites, whiteflies, and scale insects. Ladybugs’ young, called larvae, feed on these same pests. Thus, they provide even more protection against pest invasions. The larvae look somewhat unusual, like miniature alligator-like creatures with black bodies and orange heads. However, they are extremely beneficial to have in your garden.
Create a Garden That Ladybugs Want to Visit
In order to effectively use ladybugs to manage pests in your garden you must create a habitable environment for them. This includes planting flowers that provide nectar and pollen for them to eat. Good options are dill, fennel, calendula, alyssum, cilantro, cosmos, marigold and others. Additionally, providing multiple varieties of flowers that bloom throughout the growing season ensures that ladybugs always have access to a source of nectar and pollen.
Don’t Forget Water, Shelter, and Safe Spaces
Additionally, ladybugs require shelter and moisture. I provide both by keeping a shallow dish filled with pebbles and water in my garden. The pebbles allow insects to crawl through the water and rest without drowning. Dense vegetation, mulched areas and other areas of shelter in your garden will also benefit ladybugs.
Chemical pesticides can harm or kill ladybugs. Therefore, if you plan to use pesticides to control pests in your garden, I recommend using non-chemical methods to control pests before resorting to chemical pesticides.
As mentioned previously, ladybugs need a place to live. While purchasing ladybug houses has been suggested as a method to attract ladybugs to your garden, I believe that making your garden more hospitable to beneficial insects is more important than purchasing additional items.
A Balanced Garden Is Better Than a Perfect One
Another difficult decision for many gardeners is what level of pest presence should be tolerated in the garden. While most gardeners strive to maintain a pest-free garden, completely eliminating all pests from your garden is unrealistic and unhealthy for the ecosystem. Some amount of pest pressure is needed to sustain populations of beneficial insects such as ladybugs. By tolerating some level of pest presence, you are likely to see greater levels of beneficial insects present in your garden.
The Truth About Buying Ladybugs for Your Garden
Many gardeners purchase ladybugs from stores or catalogs, assuming that this will quickly solve their pest problems. However, in my experience, releasing large numbers of store-bought ladybugs into your garden rarely results in sustained populations of these beneficial insects. Store-bought ladybugs often do not survive well due to the stresses associated with being removed from their native habitats and transported long distances.
While it is unlikely that you will eliminate all pesticide use from your gardening practices entirely, reducing your reliance upon chemicals will greatly improve the chances of attracting and retaining beneficial insects such as ladybugs in your garden.
Supporting Beneficial Insects Naturally
By avoiding the above common mistakes that deter beneficial insects from inhabiting your garden, you will likely increase the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects in your garden. When combined with the proper selection and arrangement of flowers that provide nectar and pollen resources for beneficial insects, it is highly probable that you will begin to notice an increased number of beneficial insects such as ladybugs visiting and residing in your garden. Also, by maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem in your garden, you support this outcome.
It is worth noting that many people view the presence of some pests as undesirable; however, in my opinion, having a few aphids or other minor pest issues does not significantly detract from the quality of a harvest. What is more damaging to crop quality is overuse of pesticides that can damage or kill the very crops you are attempting to protect.
Understanding the needs of beneficial insects such as ladybugs allows gardeners to develop strategies for managing pest populations naturally and sustainably. By incorporating native plants that serve as nectar and pollen resources into our gardens, we are helping to establish a balanced ecosystem that benefits both humans and wildlife alike.
