The seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) was introduced to the United States from Europe as a biological control for aphids. Each of these ladybugs can eat up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime! As a rose grower, I am happy to see these ladybugs in my garden.
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| Seven-spotted ladybugs |
These ladybugs are mating. Well, maybe I should say ladybug and manbug! ;) In a couple of months, the female will lay between 200 to 1,000 eggs. I hope her babies will call my garden home.
If you want to know more about ladybugs, check out this website: www.ladybuglady.com
Thanks so much for the information on the seven-spotted ladybug. I’ll keep an eye out in my garden. Hopefully, I see some as well!
ReplyDeleteI saw thrilled when I saw these! I often see ladybugs, but they're not this type.
DeleteThat's very lucky Holly! I've only seen one Ladybug in my garden this season - but I've seen very few aphids so maybe there are more I haven't noticed!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child we were told that having a ladybug in the garden was "lucky". Now of course I know its "lucky" for the gardener who has them :)
I figured I had so many aphids, the ladybugs would show up eventually! ;) And I do feel lucky to have them in my garden!
DeleteHi Holley! I've been missing visiting you. I'm glad to see the ladybugs are visiting your garden.
ReplyDeleteI have been playing catchup with posts, and had such a good time seeing the book I now must read about Monet and the tip for taking a picture and covering it in plastic so you can draw in details is pure genius! I wish I'd thought of that 30 years ago when we planted all the trees, we'd have saved ourselves a lot of chainsaw time. It's so hard to visualize their mature sizes when they're only 10" tall.
I love your garden, beautifully landscaped and planned, Holley!
I am starting to get behind on reading posts, too. So much to get done before it gets hot here! You're right about being hard to imagine a tree from a little bitty plant. I'm always amazed when I have actually placed plants right! :)
DeleteI actually spotted naughties there!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI think their babies will eat greedily your aphids, I don't know what the adults eat... apparently they've better things to do rather than eating...
I didn't know they've been introduced from Europe to US though, you have plenty of nice butterflies and birds and things like tornados and you didn't have ladybugs? This is odd...
I think they were trying to get some privacy behind those weeds! I hope they have lots and lots of babies - I'm certain I have lots and lots of aphids! There are many kinds of ladybugs here, but this particular kind of ladybug was introduced because they eat aphids at such a high rate. I guess our ladybugs don't like them as much. In fact, some kinds of ladybugs are even vegetarians! It wasn't until 1973 that these particular aphid-loving ladybugs became established in the US. Good question!
DeleteHG, I have them things all over my house. They are hatching out like crazy right now. This morning there was one crawling all over my big tomato plant in the aero garden here in the living room. Sometimes they are so bad in the house in the fall that they are dropping from every light in the house. I have some mutated ones however that only have one spot.
ReplyDeleteI've never had them in my house, but I know it can be a problem! There are a lot of different types of ladybugs. If they have one spot on each side, they may be the two-spotted ladybug. They are native, and fairly rare. Wouldn't that be fun?!
DeleteI love ladybugs (or ladybirds as they are called here) :) It always makes me smile when I see one, even better if I see loads! I've recently seen a whole load of them hibernating in one of our plants, lovely!
ReplyDeleteOh, how fun! I was so excited to see these two! How thrilling to have seen a lot of them just waiting for spring!
DeleteHow uncanny...I've been gardening all day & our gardens infested with these critters, think they enjoyed the unseasonal high temperatures today. Took loads of photo's too. They're alright, as long as they don't turn upside down & start waving all their legs in the air!!! x
ReplyDeleteWell, I suppose your aphids don't stand a chance!!! :)
DeleteI've seen very few ladybirds over here which is bad news. Ieven tried introducing them with no luck. I remember a vist to Virginia a few years back and seeing a house covered in them. Maybe this year they'll return to our garden. There's plenty of aphids to eat!
ReplyDeleteI think if you've got aphids, they will eventually show up. At least, that's what I've always hoped. I'm thrilled to see these in my garden, and I hope you find some in your garden soon, too!
DeleteI tried to convince ladybirds to eat the aphids on my foxgloves last year but they weren't interested.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they were full already! :) Just kidding - they may have been a different type of ladybug, one that doesn't like aphids. I hope you get the aphid-loving seven-spotted ladybug in your garden this year.
DeleteHolley,
ReplyDeleteI'm always happy to see the ladybugs in my garden and especially the nymphs. Even when they infested the inside of my house in February, I still loved them. I just let them out (never knew whether that was a good idea though, since it was cold out there.) Here, in my new house, I have plenty of aphids and they come as well. They just don't come inside. :-)
Yael
I have never seen the nymphs, but maybe I just didn't know what I was looking at. Being a gardener makes you stop and look at the smallest things! I never realized before just how much life there is that's so tiny!
DeleteWe've not had many ladybirds in recent years. Don't know if the bad winters had anything to do with it. Hopefully, we'll get more this year. We'll certainly have plenty of food for them ( those aphids)
ReplyDeleteI hope your ladybugs return to your garden in full force. It really is satisfying to know that they are eating those bad guys!
DeleteI love ladybugs and am always glad to see them. They never eat the yellow aphids on my milkweed, though. Maybe they're not as tasty as the green ones. :o)
ReplyDeleteLadybugs with discriminating taste! Maybe the milkweed makes those aphids taste bad.
DeleteThey are welcomed in my garden too! I love to see them! cute and helpful!
ReplyDeleteThey are a cute little bug!
DeleteI welcome them with open hands. I found some outside during winter. I carried them inside and put them on my fennel and parsley plants. They have been thriving in those plants. I hope they mate and produce more ladybugs for my garden too. I really have these aphids and mites problem.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope your ladybugs have lots of babies, too! If you have lots of aphids, I'm sure they'll thrive!
DeleteI rarely see these treasures in my garden now, I have thought about buying them, I think it's possible. They are much prettier than detergent.
ReplyDeleteYes, you can purchase them, although I've never done it. I think you need to make sure they are close by aphids so they will stick around in your garden, and not fly off. I'm so lazy I don't even spray detergent, so I'm really glad I have these in my garden!
DeleteMy sweet hubby gave me 3000 ladybugs foe my birthday one year..one of my favorite presents. They came in a cold box and to life when they warmed up in the sun. It was so Much fun
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun present! Now that's a memorable gift! And a thoughtful husband!
DeleteLove to see them in my garden instead of all the Japanese beetles...so cute
ReplyDeleteSo many bugs - too bad we can't tell the bad ones to go away!
Deletecool,did you know that the Coccinella novemnotata or the 9 spotted ladybug, is now very rare and the lost lady bug project needs us to help find them and take photos? I am involved and can't wait to try to find one this year... here is the link in case anyone is interested; http://www.lostladybug.org/index.php... I love ladybugs, can't stand the asian beetles.. blah !
ReplyDeleteI was just reading about that! Thanks for letting everyone know. It would be great if we could come up with some sightings. I will definitely be on the lookout for one!
DeleteHolley, do you remember how you got the app 'You may also like '... that gives 3 earlier posts. I had it, but it's disappeared and I can't remember how I got it. Thanks, catmint
ReplyDeleteYes - it's linkwithin.com. Free and easy!
Deletethanks Holley
DeleteWhat a great thing to find in the garden. I don't usually see very many ladybugs in my garden - but I usually find plenty of aphids!
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to say I never have seen these ladybugs in my garden before this year. That's why I'm so excited to see them! I hope they get to your garden soon.
DeleteI wonder if that means you have an aphid infestation on the way?
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm certain of it! :)
ReplyDelete