Why Every Garden Should Have a Source of Ladybug Food
In order to continually protect your garden, it is imperative to keep a supply of ladybug food nearby. Ladybugs have been known to fly hundreds of miles in search of food and if your garden doesn’t appeal to them they will quickly leave. Read further to learn why ladybugs are so important to a healthy garden and how different types of ladybug food can keep a happy population in yours.
Why Ladybugs are Important
Ladybugs are heroes to many a gardener. They eat numerous species of garden pests, and they eat them in large amounts. A single adult ladybug can eat up to 50 aphids (plant lice) each day. In addition to aphids, they also eat mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, potato beetle eggs, and many types of mites and soft-bodied bugs as well. Because of their effectiveness, they are the number one most widely used garden-protecting bug for home and commercial use.
The Role that Ladybug Food Plays
Because they are so good at their job, ladybugs will eventually deplete their staple food supply—pesky insects. Although they also feed on nectars and occasionally plant and pollen mildews, their main food supply consists of aphids. When the aphids are gone your ladybug population will begin to disappear in search of a more appetizing garden.
While you may initially think this is fine, it will become a problem again. The aphids will return and likely run rampant due to a lack of ladybugs. You can coax your ladybugs into staying during infestation downtimes, however by providing a delicious food alternative. The ladybugs will remain in your garden, reproduce, and happily protect your flowers from herbivorous bugs.
How to Feed Your Ladybugs
As soon as you see the pests dwindling in numbers, it is time to start supplementing your hungry little friends’ diets with an alternative food source. Bottles of ladybug food can be purchased online on numerous gardening and ladybug enthusiast websites. If you need the food quickly, you can also take a drive to your nearest nursery, home improvement store, or farming supply store. Most places like this will have what you are looking for as well as plenty of handy tips for you to benefit from.
With a proper nectar base, it is possible to make your own ladybug food paste. Mix your nectar base with equal parts honey or sugar. Once you have these items combined, add water and mix until you are left with a thick, sticky paste. Take wooden stakes or popsicle sticks and spread your food on them, then place them in your garden near any plants that are susceptible to infestation (rosebushes primarily). If you would like to put the food directly on your plants, add more water to thin it out and then carefully spread it on the leaves of your plants.
Certain ladybug species like invading your home, and although harmless, they can become aggravated and leave yellow stains on light surfaces. To help avoid this problem, put the food stakes a decent ways from your house. The ladybugs will congregate nearer to the food supply.
If you r your children would like to keep some ladybugs as pets in a terrarium, place plump raisins in the container with the bugs. They will be very happy with these treats and will not have to live off of their fat supplies. To provide them with water you can soak a paper towel and place it in their new home as well. This should keep them going until the next season, and you and your family will be able to enjoy releasing them back into the wilds of your garden.