So I saw a sign at nursery recently that said “Ladybugs on Sale Here!” and as I am a sucker for signage, it made me wonder, if I really did need to add ladybugs to my garden environment.

Ok, I’m not really a sucker for signage; I just like to know things before I go to a nursery so either A- I don’t have to ask questions beyond where something is located, or B- I want to come across smarter than the average grower. So naturally I needed to know, if ladybugs are something I needed, and if I do... then I want them!

Naturally, I knew ladybugs were good aphid eaters, and I did have roses currently covered in aphids. Being that I am not one for natural or chemical sprays, I tend to just prune my garden and pick off the odd critters I see as I pass by and I generally leave the rest to nature. Snails and a flower picking one year old tend to be my biggest predators.

My initial though about buying ladybugs concerned mainly the idea that I am paying for something that I cannot guarantee will stay in my yard. Apparently that is a common concern. So the best ways to keep those little critters in your yard, and get the most out of your investment takes a little bit of know how.

• Your best bet with a bag of ladybugs is to at first store them the in the fridge and release them over the course of several days. If you release all your ladybugs at once into the garden, while they are all packed together their initial impulse will be to get away from each other, more specifically out of your garden.

• Release the bugs around dusk, near the aphids. This will also prevent them from leaving your garden to go locate their own food.

• You can also spray the lady bugs with a mixture of sugar water; this will make their wings sticky and prevent them from flying for a few days.

• Lastly, and more obviously don’t spray insecticides... you’ll kill your investment.

So the question still remains, do I need ladybugs?

Inevitably ladybugs won’t stay in your yard all year; in fact, the majority might not even stay the night. The real goal is that the ladybugs you distribute in your garden will eat the aphids presently on your plants, and lay eggs before they fly off, this way you’ll have a new batch of bugs all ready to start snacking again in a few weeks.

Ladybugs are natural, effective and relatively cheap whether they hang around a few days or not. If you’re not one for pesticides, but do have an aphid problem, those little bugs might be a solution.  Keep in mind your going to need 3500-4000 for a medium sized garden, and you’ll need to water your plants just a little bit before you release them so they have something to drink, an added reason for them to hang around.

Buying ladybugs does have a bit of a novelty attached to it. Whether they stay or not, you will get the satisfaction that some of your aphid population will be reduced, and perhaps my one year old will find something more exciting than my flowers to investigate in the garden.

The latter is doubtful...