Cathy Isom begins this series by letting you know why you need Ladybugs in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Ladybugs may be tiny but they are mighty. And they are considered beneficial for a variety of reasons, from pollination to pest control.
Ladybugs and their larvae are infamous for controlling aphid populations in your garden, which is great. Aphids are harmful to many types of gardens and crops, so ladybugs are quite invaluable for keeping them in line. That said, our helpful beetle friends enjoy many other insects, including:
- Spider mites
- Mealybugs
- Tomato hornworms
- Cabbage moths
- Whiteflies
- Scales
Ladybugs feast on other insects throughout their lives. In fact, the average ladybug can eat thousands of aphids during a standard lifetime. The babies are even more impressive! Just like human young, who eat in large quantities during growth spurts, a single baby ladybug will consume an average of 400 pests before they even reach adulthood.
I’m Cathy Isom…