Among the long list of small, helpful insects in the garden or vegetable garden, the ladybug is one of gardeners’ favorites. As an effective predator, it combats numerous harmful insects and parasites, starting with aphid colonies. However, it would be simplistic to consider them solely as a biological control agent for aphids. In fact, ladybugs can replace numerous chemical products on their own. Therefore, it’s always a joy to encounter Coccinella septempunctata and Adalia bipunctata in your green spaces! And while you can buy ladybug larvae or adult ladybugs at garden centers, you can also design your garden to naturally attract them year-round. Here’s how!
What are the benefits of ladybugs in your garden? They’re known to be beneficial insects, but often little is known for their usefulness. They’re certainly voracious predators, with an adult ladybug eating around 100 aphids a day, and a larva eating up to 150. However, ladybugs also have to contend with other harmful insects every day: scale insects, mites, thrips, leafhoppers, psyllids, and more. And let’s not forget the 22-spot ladybug, one of the dangerous natural enemies of the parasitic fungus responsible for rust on our garden plants. So, don’t hesitate to ask your gardener which species to choose based on the pests and diseases they’re trying to combat.
Furthermore, we mustn’t forget that ladybugs, like bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and wasps (albeit in a more modest way), participate in flower pollination. All these qualities make them indispensable allies in the garden!
How do you attract ladybugs to your garden? 1) Remove all chemical insecticides or pesticides from the garden. Ladybugs are particularly sensitive to chemical pesticides, which can quickly kill adult insects. This is especially true of insecticides, which tend to indiscriminately destroy both harmful and beneficial insects. In addition to insecticides, fungicides and herbicides of all kinds are also very harmful to them. Also, before administering an infusion, make sure they cannot be washed away. Finally, if you want to encourage the reproduction of ladybugs in your garden, limit the use of black soap! It’s natural, but they are not at all passionate.
2) Promote biodiversity in your garden. The more diverse the plant selection, the more comfortable the little insects will feel. Don’t hesitate to leave some natural corners intact in your green spaces. The undeveloped areas are actually areas of the garden where nettle, borage, yarrow, centaury, wormwood, chamomile, and wild carrot thrive, plants so beloved by ladybugs.
They also appreciate plants that attract black aphids and where they can hunt their prey: broad beans and nasturtiums are their favorites. Other plants are also available: bay leaves, roses, nettles, elderberries, seneciones, fennel, cereals… And for the seasons when aphids are fewer, the gardener can also plant plants rich in protein through pollen and nectar from the garden: centaurea, tansy, white lamio, grasses, dandelions, fruit trees, hazel blossoms, dogwood, etc. A rich flora in the garden is a guarantee of happy ladybugs!
3) When designing your garden, consider shelters for ladybugs. With the arrival of autumn, temperatures drop rapidly, heralding a harsh winter. During this time, these little insects look for a place to nest and spend the winter in the heat. And in this regard, there are many options for ladybugs in the garden. So consider leaving evergreen hedges, ivy leaves, clumps of moss, tree bark or bark as mulch at the base of plants, woodpiles and piles of dry leaves, tall wild grasses, or dry stone walls in sheltered areas of the garden. You could also choose to place an insect hotel in a child’s room, in a corner protected from wind and rain. With this type of shelter, you’ll make more than one person happy!
Good to know: Humidity lovers will certainly appreciate a small tub or water feature. This is another aspect to consider when designing your outdoor space.
