Some people believe that if a ladybug lands on them, they will have good luck.  Although that is simply myth, what is known is that ladybugs are great for gardens.  In fact, many gardeners will tell you that the ladybug is their garden’s best friend.  First, this cute red and black insect eats bad pests that can damage your foliage and flowers.  Additionally, because of their cute appearance, they simply brighten the day.

If you want to take advantage of having ladybugs in your garden, you will need to plan ways to lure them.  Keep in mind that if you do not have much success getting them to come into your garden, you can order ladybugs from gardening centers or on the internet.

The adult bugs are typically shamed like a dome or with an oval shape.  While they are usually red, you will see them as an orange color as well.  When it comes to the black spots, these too vary.  For example, you might see some ladybugs with up to 15 spots while others have no spots at all.  In fact, there are even ladybugs that are black with red spots or completely black with no spots at all.

The adult ladybug along with the larvae will feed on a number of soft-bodied insects, which includes aphids, their favorite.  Interestingly, one small larva can eat up to 400 aphids while growing into an adult and in an entire lifetime, the ladybug can consume as many as 5,000 aphids!  Another favorite is the mealy bug and spider mite, which are destroyers of gardens.

In addition to the insects, ladybugs need pollen to survive.  For this reason, they are attracted to a number of plants that include caraway, cilantro, fennel, yarrow, tansy, and carrots.  Scented plants such as geraniums, dandelions, and coreopsis are also big attractants.

To ensure your population of ladybugs stays healthy, make sure you always use organic fertilizers and use only organic sprays for other bad insects.  The ladybug is extremely sensitive to most synthetic insecticides so if you destroy all of the pollen and bad bugs, then the ladybugs will not come to the garden.  Therefore, you need to ensure your garden is friendly to the things they like and need.

You can also place squished bugs and eggs, and place them in your garden as a way of encouraging ladybugs.  You can purchase ladybugs on the internet or at your local gardening center and then release them outdoors.  Just remember for the best rate of success, make sure they are only put outside once the sun has set or before the sun comes up.  The reason is that ladybugs naturally maneuver during these times.  Otherwise, they will not move and become prey for other creatures.  Other things you can do to make your garden the best place for ladybugs includes the following:

• Always water the area where you plan to place them.  They need the water to drink but the moisture makes it easier for them to climb plants.
• Then in the warm months, you can place the ladybugs in the refrigerator overnight.  In this case, ladybugs that are cooler will crawl rather than fly away.
• If you have plants that are badly infested with bad bugs, you can lay a thin sheet over the plant and then let the ladybugs go underneath.  This helps them make their way to where the aphids are.