Buying Ladybugs ?

[Nyboy]

I found a site that sells Ladybugs very cheap. I was wondering if anyone has released them in their garden? Did they stay, did you notice a diffence in number of pests, would you do it again? Thanks

 

[mare]

I've never bought any, however I have heard that once they run out of things to eat in your garden they will move on to the next garden with pests. You can plant flowers that they like to hide out in such as asters, coneflowers, sunflowers and yarrow and that may keep them happy enough to stay around.

 

[lesa]

Everything I have read about them indicates that once you release them, they are gone... Have heard of some success using them inside greenhouse.
If they are really cheap and you have a specific issue (lots of aphids) might be worth a try.

 

[thistlebloom]

I've never bought them, but I understand the trick to keeping them around is to release them in the evening, into a well watered garden, and before you release them to feed them with some dilute sugar water. Oh, and it also helps if you have aphids for them to eat once they're released.

 

[Nyboy]

Don't mind if they leave after eating all the bugs. 1,500 are $6.50 plus shipping.

 

[thistlebloom]

That seems reasonable. A few will undoubtedly hang around and breed and benefit you too! :coolsun

 

[journey11]

Not the stinky orange ones I hope! If so, you can have all of mine for free!

 

[jojo54]

We bought ladybugs two summers ago. Most of them seemed to disappear. We had aphid problems on some of our fruit trees. Last year we didn't have the problems because the those trees are in the chickens' run. I think the girls ate the ants that put the aphids in the trees because we didn't have them last summer and the chickens seemed to have cleaned up the ant problem. good girls!

 

[Collector]

We bought some about six years ago. We were having terrible aphid problems in our fruit and maple trees. They hung around pretty thick for the first season, then they bailed on us that fall. Guess they didnt like the house we supplied for them. It did help with the aphid problem though.

 

[thistlebloom]

There are a lot of different types of ladybug. The stinky orange ones (which also bite!) are called Harlequin ladybugs, They were imported from Asia and have become a real nuisance. The ones you purchase for release are the domestic sweet natured variety.