Use ladybugs against aphids

Do ladybugs or their larvae eat aphids? We have the answer and how to help ladybugs in the garden to control aphids in the garden.

ladybug (Coccinellidae) are welcome guests among gardeners for a variety of reasons. They are not only known as good luck charms, but according to popular belief they can also tell unmarried women when they are going to get married. Every second the beetle spends on your hand means another year until the wedding. In addition to the abilities that are popularly attributed to it, the ladybug is also a great help in fighting against aphids. The preference of the small beneficial for the small animals helps you against the plague. We show you how ladybugs help against aphids and how you can encourage ladybugs in your garden.

How do ladybugs help against aphids?

As early as spring, when the first rays of the sun warm up the beetles, they begin to seek out their favorite food, the aphids. A single ladybug can eat up to 100 of them in a day. On plants with many aphids, the females lay their eggs in spring, from which ladybird larvae hatch after about a week. Depending on the species and stage of development, these larvae are 2 to 15 millimeters in size and are predominantly black with yellow markings. It is not without reason that the larvae are also called aphid lions: before a larva pupates into an adult ladybird, it eats up to 500 aphids.

As for the question of whether ladybugs or the ladybug larvae eat aphids, there is a positive answer: Both adult ladybirds and ladybird larvae eat aphids. It is also pleasing that ladybugs are not only effective against aphids, but also against scale insects can be used. Ladybugs find aphids mainly on shoot tips and flower buds. They actively track down an infestation and fly to the affected area. Aphids can weaken the plant or individual shoots to such an extent that growth is reduced or shoots or flowers are even lost. are particularly common Aphids on roses to be found, which often leads to reduced or deformed flower formation.

Use ladybugs against aphids

The seven-spot ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) and the two-spot ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) in front. You can also in our Plantura Shop Seven-spot ladybugs against aphids order.
The targeted use of purchased ladybird lavender against aphids is particularly promising in protected cultivation such as in a greenhouse. In the wild, the animals quickly migrate again if the living conditions do not match the needs of the ladybug. You will achieve long-lasting success when using ladybirds against aphids if you offer the beetles a habitat in which they feel comfortable and are thus preserved over the long term remain. You can find out how to do this below.

tip: Did you know that native ladybugs aren't all red with black spots? They can also be orange or yellow, with one to 15 points. The number of points does not indicate the age of the animal, but the species. In Europe there are over 75 different genera with over 200 different species and subspecies. There are also numerous different species of ladybirds outside of Europe. The naturally occurring sixteen-spotted ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) does not feed on aphids, but on powdery mildew fungi. This genus can therefore help you protect your plants from infestation with mildew fungi to protect.

Would you like to rid your plants of aphids in the short term to save a harvest, or are you looking for outdoor plants where the ladybugs would not stay? Then please do not directly use synthetic pesticides that damage beneficial insects, which could also damage all the ladybirds in the area. With a biological agent like our Plantura Organic Pest Free Neem you can use an agent that is also approved for organic farming and has as little impact on the environment as possible.

Support ladybugs in the garden

Since ladybugs are difficult to specifically settle in the garden, the question arises of how to attract and encourage ladybugs. Ladybugs mainly look for aphids in summer. They are attracted to an area with native plants where aphids are not actively controlled. You can easily create such a refuge for beneficial insects and ladybugs with our Plantura Beneficial magnets invest. By the way, if no aphids can be found, some ladybugs also switch to pollen as food. They particularly like to eat the pollen of herbs such as fennel, dill, chives, mint or chamomile. Pollen from marigolds, dandelion, buckwheat, clover and poppies are also popular with some ladybirds. Not only in this refuge, but in your entire garden, you can pay attention to insect-friendly plant protection and choose ecological plant protection measures. With this you not only protect the ladybug, but also others Beneficial insects against aphids.
As the year draws to a close, the ladybugs seek shelter for the winter. You have the opportunity to support them by leaving the beds a bit untidy, Leave perennial cuttings or small piles of bark scales, wooden trunks and leaves erect. For more tips, see our article on insect-friendly garden design.

Summary: How to encourage ladybugs in your garden

• Natural flower bed with aphid food plants that attract ladybugs
• Offer plants whose pollen ladybugs like to eat, such as fennel, chives, and marigold
• Insect-friendly plant protection measures
• Shelter for wintering made of bark shed or a pile of leaves

Tip: Do not worry that aphids will migrate from the beneficial insect meadow to your crops. Pests and beneficial insects quickly form a natural balance in which the pests are kept below a relevant damage threshold.

Do you want to know more about the spotted beneficial insects in your garden? We present 7 interesting ones Facts about ladybugs in front.