Gardening with LadyBugs
There are many adversaries out, strategically positioning their minions. When they strike, they can wreck havoc on your garden. To do battle in this battlefield, you will need to build up your artillery.
One such piece of equipment needed in your arsenal, which can turn the tide on this battlefield is the one and only Lady Bug. You are going to want a lot of these and luckily, they won't take up a whole lot of your garden/military budget.
Becky Post and her daughter, Katie Fransen purchased 3000 Lady Bugs online, for an investment of only 4.00. Order Them Here. At that price, they definitely fit into your military budget. The Lady Bugs where shipped in a box and arrived right in the mail. When Katie opened the box, there where 3000 very active adult lady bugs moving around.
Becky and Katie had researched these little bugs, and learned that they are beneficial in the larva stage, as well as in the adult stage. They are very aggressive and will eat aphids, mealybugs, spider mites and many other insects. The life cycle of a lady bug is 1 year.
If you decide to add lady bugs to your arsenal, make sure you don't purchase them in the dead of winter. The months from March to October are ideal for South Carolina. When you receive your insects, release your little bugs throughout the garden, dusk being the preferred time. That way they can take cover and find a home before the birds grab them up.
Plant some flowers in your garden- such as buckwheat. This will make your lady bugs happy as they feed on feed on pollen, as well as aphids. They feed heavily on pollen before they hibernate for the winter. Each year one lady bug will lay about 1000 eggs. Another really cool fact, exclaims Katie, “They have a super power. They create a chemical that makes them taste nasty to other bugs.”
Maybe I should have compared lady bugs to a member of the Justice League- maybe Wonder Woman? Rather you see them as a part of your artillery or a member of the Justice League, the lady bugs are on your side. Be sure to add these super heroes to your garden and as always, Get Growing South Carolina.
