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.
Ladybirds (Coccinellidae) are popular guests with 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 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 sunshine 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. The larvae are also called aphid lions for a reason: Before a larva pupates into an adult ladybug, it eats up to 500 aphids.
As for the question of whether ladybugs or the ladybug larvae eat aphids, there is a positive one Answer: Both adult ladybugs and ladybug larvae eat aphids. It is also pleasing that ladybugs can be used not only against aphids, but also against scale insects. 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. Aphids are particularly common on roses, which often leads to areduced or deformed flower formation.
Use ladybugs against aphids
The seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) and the two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata) are the most common in Germany. You can also order seven-spot ladybirds against aphids in our Plantura shop.
The targeted use of purchased ladybirds 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 permanently preserved. 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 give an indication of the age of the animal, but of 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 powdery mildew fungi.
You want to rid your plants of aphids in the short term to save a harvest, or are you interested in outdoor plants where the ladybugs would not stay? Then please do not directly use synthetic pesticides that are harmful to 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 it is difficult to specifically settle ladybugs 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. Such a refuge for beneficial insects and ladybugs canPut them on easily with our Plantura beneficial insect magnet. 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. The pollen from marigolds, dandelion, buckwheat, clover and poppies is also on the menu for 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. This not only protects the ladybug, but also other beneficial insects against aphids.
When the year is coming to an end, the ladybugs look for a shelter for the winter. You have the opportunity to support them by leaving the beds a little untidy, leaving perennial cuttings or building small piles of bark scales, wooden trunks and leaves. Check out our article on insect-friendly garden design for more tips.
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
- Overwintering shelter made of bark scales or a pile of leaves
Tip: Don't 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.
Would you like to know more about the spotted beneficial insects in your garden? We present 7 interesting facts about ladybugs.