Ode to a Ladybird Beetle by March Biological

Ode to a Ladybird Beetle by March Biological and why these circular red flying beetles are the best.

Ode to Ladybird BeetleHippodamia convergens or as they are more commonly known – the Lady Bug, is not a bug at all. They are beetles, and their correct name is The Ladybird Beetle. There are about 400 different types of Lady Bugs in the Coccinellidae family in North America and about 4,000 species worldwide. The most common beneficial species in North America is the Convergent Lady Beetle.

Lady Bugs are the most widely used and best known form of biological pest control. Famous for their control of aphids, Lady Bugs will also consume large numbers of whitefly, mealybugs, scales, mites and many other soft bodied insects as well as bollworm, broccoli worm, cabbage moth and tomato hornworm. Lady Bugs will consume up to 1,000 aphids in its lifetime in both their larvae and adult stages and work well in garden and greenhouse settings.

One common complaint against the Lady Bug is that once released they will fly off to the neighbors house down the street while aphids have their way with your roses and tomato plants. The truth is that once released a portion will fly off and that once the aphids are consumed another portion will fly off looking for food. But there are a few things that you can do to get your Lady Bugs to stay. First, always release Lady Bugs in the evening, they will not fly at night and are not as active when it’s cooler. Another trick is to mix water & regular soda pop (50/50) and spray it on the Lady Bugs just prior to release. The sugar in the soda will cause the Lady Bugs wings to stick together for a few days so they can not fly away. In this time the females should start laying their eggs in your garden. Lady Bugs are very territorial – Lady Bugs that hatch in your garden will call it home. We also offer Bug Blend, a flowering seed mix that will provide both a natural habitat and the pollen and nectar beneficials required to reproduce, and Lady Bug Breakfast – a supplemental food source to feed your Lady Bugs when the pests have been eaten.

And now our ode…

Lady bug, lady bug
Fly off of my arm
And do your job
To protect our farm

Lady bug, lady bug
Fly from my knee
And go to the garden
Or some needy tree

Lady bug, lady bug
Come out of the shade
To feed on the pests
That have come to invade

Lady bug, lady bug
Get off of my nose
and devour the aphids
On momma’s red rose

Lady bug, lady bug
You are truly the best
At stopping the bad bugs
and unruly pests

To order your Lady Bugs please visit www.marchbiological.com. Or call Brad the Bugman at 800.328.9140.