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A Guide to Bathroom Vanities
When it comes to sharing bathroom space, the vanity set up can
make or break the relationship! Many couples spend a great deal
of time focusing on spa bathtubs and marble showers, but neglect
the space where they actually spend a greater amount...
Be Your Own Way, But Still Use The Safe Tools
It is so often that people are not aware with the tools they use when doing their home improvement. Sometimes they use wrong tools just because they want something quick to be done. Well, you must change that attitude. You have to...
Commercial Real Estate Definitions – From O To Z
Commercial real estate is distinctly different from residential real estate. The terminology is very different and here is a list of new terms from O to Z.
Commercial Terms
Operating Expenses: Just as it sounds, operating expenses are those...
Home Reno Plans: Value Added Or Value Subtracted?
(NC)—Canadians' ongoing love affair with renovating their homes is alive and well, with more than $20 billion being spent every year since the new Millennium. But how do you know what improves your home's value, and what might make it harder to...
Transform Your Home with Decorative Country Lighting
As we become more of a home-based society, many more of us are pouring money into our houses with DIY renovations. Do it yourself home improvement projects are both rewarding and usually will give you a good return on investment should you decide...
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Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to My Garden
Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybirds, can be a gardener’s best friend. The ladybug’s bright coloring brings welcomed cheer to the garden, as well as helping with pest control. Since medieval times, ladybugs have been valued by farmers all over the world. Many believe that the ladybug was divinely sent to free crops of insect pests. In fact, that is how the ladybug got its name. People dedicated the bug to the Virgin Mary and therefore called it “The Bug of our Lady”, which was eventually shortened to the present name “ladybug”.
Adult ladybugs are usually oval or domed shaped and have red wings, yellow wings or shades and variations of these colors. The number of black spots can range from no spots to 15 spots and they are typically about one quarter inch in size or smaller.
The length of the life cycle of a ladybug varies depending upon temperature, humidity, and food supply. Usually the life cycle from egg to adult is about three to four weeks, and up to six weeks during the cooler spring months. During the spring the adult female ladybug can lay up to three hundred eggs in an aphid colony. The eggs normally hatch in two to five days. The newly hatched larvae feed on aphids for up to three weeks and then enter the pupae stage. About one week later, the adult ladybug emerges. There can be as many as six generations of ladybugs hatched in a year.
The ladybug enjoys popularity around the world. These pretty insects have long been considered a symbol of good luck and fortune because of their ability to eat an enormous amount of aphids. One ladybug can eat as many as 50 to 60 aphids per day. Aphids (also called plant lice) are herbivores and are one of the worst groups of pests on plants. They feed in colonies and damage plants by sucking the juice out of the leaves, stems, or roots. While aphids feed, they damage plant tissue creating a loss of plant fluids and the photosynthetic tissue needed to produce energy for plant growth. Some plants will show no adverse response to aphids, while others react with twisted, curled or swollen leaves or stems. Aphids also transmit many plant diseases from one plant to another.
Apart from aphids, ladybugs eat a variety of other insects and larvae including white flies, mealy bugs, spider mites, and other types of soft-bodied insects. They also require a source of pollen for food and for that reason are attracted to certain types of plants. Their preferred plants have umbrella shaped flowers such as dill, fennel, angelica, tansy, caraway, cilantro, yarrow, and wild carrot. Other plants that attract ladybugs include cosmos (especially the white ones), dandelions, coreopsis, and scented geraniums.
If your garden does not have adequate space to plant ladybug attracting plants, you can purchase ladybugs from numerous websites on the internet and most nurseries. Before releasing them into your garden, here are a
few tips to help ensure that the ladybugs stay where you want them:
1.Release ladybugs near infested plants after sun down or before sun up. They navigate by the sun and are most likely to stay put in the evenings and early mornings.
2.Water the area where you are going to release the ladybugs. They will appreciate the drink and the moisture on the leaves will help the ladybugs to “stick” on the plants. If released in a dry garden, the ladybugs will most likely fly off in search of a drink instead of sticking around to eat.
3.In the warmer months, chill the ladybugs in the refrigerator before releasing them. This will not harm the ladybugs and they tend to crawl more in colder temperatures rather than fly away.
Another way to attract ladybugs to your garden is to place several ladybug habitation boxes around your garden. Fill the boxes with organic material such as peat or compost to encourage ladybugs to roost and lay eggs inside the box. In addition, the habitation box also provides protection for the ladybugs in the winter months.
To further promote ladybug populations, consider cutting back on spraying insecticides in your garden. Ladybugs are sensitive to most synthetic insecticides and if the majority of their food source is gone, they will not lay their eggs and therefore will not continue to populate.
Here are some interesting ladybug facts:
•There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide and 400 which live in North America.
•A female ladybug will lay more than 1000 eggs in her lifetime.
•A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.
•A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs.
•Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them.
•The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older.
•Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
•The ladybug is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee.
As you can see, the ladybug is one of the most effective and economically important insects to have in your garden. In some cultures, seeing ladybugs in gardens indicates a bountiful harvest, an indication of good weather or a good luck omen. Create an alluring environment for ladybugs and they are sure to provide charm and pest control in your garden for years to come.
About the Author
Copyright 2005, Lesley Dietschy, All rights reserved.
Lesley Dietschy is the creator/editor of The Home Decor Exchange, a popular home decor, garden decor, and home improvement website. Please visit the website for quality resources, articles, ideas, tips, free projects, and much more. The website also has a shopping marketplace and a unique Gallery featuring Pine Needle Baskets and Gourd Art. http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com
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