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Ladybugs

Pink lilyPink lily Posts: 175
in Problem solving

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Afternoon all.   I Went out to do my nightly aphid squishing yesterday and found 2 ladybugs having a 'cuddle'   

These are the first ladybugs I've seen in my garden this year and I hope they hang around as my clematis are hoaching with aphids.  Should I stop squishing the aphids in the hope that they will be eaten by the ladybugs and their offspring?  

Bit worried if I stop removing the aphids they might take over image

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,156

    imageJust found seven ladybirds on one rose bush, some of them were making more ladybirds image

    OH and I searched that rose bush for aphids ... we found just the one!  The bluetits have been all over the rose bushes and clematis for the past couple of weeks ... it's a good job they've left one aphid as she'll produce enough babies to feed the ladybirds. 

    I can't remember removing any aphids from the rose bushes for several years now, and never use sprays.

    I went on a slug hunt yesterday evening ......... I found three ... the rest are dealt with by frogs, toads, hedgehogs and nematodes image

    Last edited: 24 May 2017 14:43:33


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,012
    Dovefromabove says:
    imageJust found seven ladybirds on one rose bush, some of them were making more ladybirds imageSee original post

     Ooh err....image  image

    I seem to have quite a few ladybirds - one appeared yesterday when I was potting on some little seedlings. It's a  gradual process Pink lily - but sometimes you get a big infestation at this time of year when you get loads of new growth suddenly. Clematis are pretty susceptible. You can wipe a fair bit of them off if you're inundated ( which helps the plants )and keep some for the predators. 

    The blue and great tits are also great for keeping the greenfly etc in check. If you can get them into the garden, you'll see a difference. I have the cleanest,  'most aphid free' apple trees  in the country image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pink lilyPink lily Posts: 175

    Ladybugs were still hanging about tonight and aphid numbers were definitely  down  from the usual amount image.       I do get a few great tits in the garden and a friendly robin,  but mostly wee house sparrows.  The sparrows like picking about on the brick walls for bugs but never seem to go near the bit where the aphids are worst.  Might move the bird feeder over that way and see if that works image     one of my lupins is covered in big fat grey aphids,  they are horrible,  no lady bug in its right mind would eat those image 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,012

    Those big grey ones are lupin aphids PinkLily. Pretty ugly aren't they! You'd probably be better scooshing those off with a hose or wiping them with your hand.

    Having the feeders near the problem plants is a good idea. My birds, including the sparrows, all visit the apple tree en route from the conifers, or hedging, to the feeder. it's the coal, greatand blue tits which eatthe greenfly though, especially just now when they have youngsters to feed.  It's surprising how quickly they get used to the restaurant facilities  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pink lilyPink lily Posts: 175

    The grey ones get skooshed and squished and shaken off on a regular basis.....they are so gross!  It's weird,  they are all over one plant and the lupin beside it has none at all image  ( thankfully )

    The sparrows here seem to think this is an actual restaurant.  They sit on the fence  shouting at me until I put more food out,  and seem to have employed the dog as their bodyguard.  He only chases the cats, magpies and wood pidgeon so the sparrows get peace to eat.  They come within a meter of him and he doesn't bat an eyelid,  very odd image

  • Pink lilyPink lily Posts: 175

    No MU,  im Scottish!  glasgow girl through and through.  I've always called them ladybugs image 

  • [Glen][Glen] Posts: 76

    In some Asian variants of the English language, bird means anything that flies. This almost supports some British using ladybird to describe many species of Coccinellidae. Who calls them ladybeetle?

    I need help attracting ladybirds to my garden. My roses have been appropriated by a horde of aphids (white, green and red ones), which seem to have been found by a handful of lacewings. I've dropped spiders on the aphids hoping that will impact their numbers until ladybirds find them.

    Please advise :)

    Last edited: 25 May 2017 10:51:32

  • Pink lilyPink lily Posts: 175

    MU, I have no idea,image you've got me wondering now though.....is it just me that call them that????? image   Might do a survey in the office at lunch time and see what everyone else calls them. 

    Glen, I have no idea how to attract them into the garden, i've just been lucky this year.  I do know that you can buy larvae online, and if you have a lot of aphids that can only be a good thing for the baby ladybugs/birds to have a supply of food waiting

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