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Watering my geraniums one day, a tiny ladybug landed on my hand. Instead of smacking it away, I smiled at the little beauty and thanked it. This is not because ladybugs are said to be good luck, but because they have proven to be such. Without these friends of mine, my garden would be devoured by aphids, mites, whiteflies and other pests whose life goal is to drive me crazy.

While ladybugs love aphids, they also need pollen. If they run out of both, they will go somewhere else that does have the things they need to survive. They prefer plants like:

Angelica
Dill
Geraniums
Fenn el
caraway
Dandelions
Wild carrot
Yarrow

If you are not keen on planting anymore, or letting the mentioned weeds grow, spray wheast, a combination of whey and yeast. This diet helps to keep them around longer and will stimulate them to lay more eggs. Tests have proven wheast causes ladybugs to lay an average of three times the amount of eggs that they normally would.

Another option is to purchase ladybugs. Yes, you heard me correctly. Many companies will ship a fresh batch of ladybugs directly to your home. Some websites that provide this service include:

Growquest.com
Gardening zone.com
Arbico-organics.com

Whe n ordering, try to avoid the Asian ladybug, also known as the Harmonia. While they too will eat aphids, they can also cause an infestation in your house and become quite annoying!

Before releasing them, it is a good idea to put them in the refrigerator over night. As odd as this sounds, it will not harm them. In chillier temperatures ladybugs are more likely to crawl than to fly, which will help make them stay in the area. The next day, after dusk or before dawn, you should water the plants you want them to concentrate on. They will want to drink right away after having nothing for 3-5 days during shipment, so this will persuade them to stick around. Likewise, the water on the plants will help the ladybugs stick to them, which also encourages them to stay put. Since they fly during the day, they will be forced to stay in the vicinity of your garden, and they will be more likely to stay thenceforth.

To get your little babies to stay through the colder months, you can even build a ladybug house. With any luck, they will sleep there fall through summer.

What you'll need:

Round cardboard container (with lid)
Fine mesh screen
Knife

What to do:

First you can decorate it if you wish to. Secondly, cut out a few openings, including one in the bottom of the container. Next, roll the screen to fit the inside of the container, making sure the edges overlap where they meet once the ladybugs have found their way in. This will prevent the ladybugs from flying away. Place some grass in the bottom (not too much) to produce a habitat that they are used to. And there you have a nice little home for your aphid-eating friends! Just remember to spray water on them every few days and feed them those pesky bugs, or sweet plants. When the weather gets warmer, release them into your garden so that you may enjoy the benefits they have to offer.

Learn more about this author, Kelly A. Mello.
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