Residence conditions for ladybugs
To make a garden ladybug-friendly means first of all to keep it as species-rich and natural as possible. This creates an attractive basis for the beetles to settle permanently. In a near-natural garden you will find more food and more hiding places. The latter are especially necessary for rainy and cool weather conditions and for the winter break.
also read
- What do the larvae of ladybirds look like?
- The many different types of ladybugs
- Does it really save costs if you build a garden house yourself?
In the wild, ladybugs find shelter in layers of moss, cracks in tree bark, or in piles of stones or wood. Such hiding places can of course also be found in a garden that is not designed too accurately. But you can also help a little. For example, by using
- leave piles of leaves lying together in autumn
- a pile of stones or a Natural stone wall erect
- piling up a pile of wood
- build a ladybug house
Generate natural retreats
By leaving heaped autumn leaves lying around, you offer ladybirds (and, by the way, other beneficial insects such as hedgehogs) a useful winter home. In winter, the beetles also like to move into piles of stones or piles of wood. They radiate heat and offer protection from wind, precipitation and enemies.
With a little aesthetic and planning skill, you can also incorporate such constructs decoratively or functionally into the garden design. For example, have you always wanted to create a herb snail with a natural stone spiral wall?
Build a ladybug house
Anyone who particularly loves the friendly and helpful ladybugs and likes to be creative with their craftsmanship can also build a ladybug house. It has the same function as a Insect hotel,(€ 11.83 at Amazon *) but should be specifically tailored to ladybugs. Such a house can also prevent the beetles from hurrying into the house in their autumn search for winter quarters.
You can let your creativity run free in the design. The classic house shape with a covered gable roof or a hollowed out or perforated Tree grate with a lidded roof are just a few ideas. Painted in black dotted red, the shelter is recognizable from afar as a ladybug house - this is of course only a treat for our human beings eye. With some moss, leaves or pieces of bark inside, you can make the ladybugs comfortable. It should be set up or hung in a quiet, sheltered place, where perhaps aphid-endangered plants grow for the first spring snack.
