Save the Lady Beetles!

Saw some lady "bugs" last week in the house. They're not a big problem, but you will notice certain times of the year they like to come in the house.

Their proper name is lady "beetle" and there are over 450 species of them in North America (native and introduced). Remember that insects outnumber almost every other type of critter in the world.


The point I want to emphasize here is that lady beetles are very beneficial in the garden and landscape, and even when they invade the home are basically harmless. If you feel you must eradicate them read the following article first.


Some in depth information can be found at http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/spfiles/SP503-C.pdf


Back to saving the lady beetles. Multicolored Asian lady beetles , the type we see most often in Tennessee, eat aphids. Aphids eat our perennials and fruit plants. Let's keep the lady beetles around. Some folk buy them at the garden center or from a catalog to release in the garden.

Or you can trap the ones in your home and save them in the refrigerator until warm weather and aphid problems return.

Here's how: (from the above publication) Trap or gently collect the lady beetles on a piece of carbdoard, put in a jar with holes in the lids and store in the refrigerator. Once a week take the jar out and sprinkle a little water into the jar. The beetles will warm up, become active, drink the water. Give them about 30-60 minutes. Don't place the jar in a very warm place, just out of the fridge. Later, in spring you can release these predators. Wait til daytime temperatures stay above 55 degrees F, the beetles will feed on pollen from plants or better yet, the aphids that otherwise would feed on your flowers.