Now you must admit, this little red and black bug really is
quite cute to look at! When I review the benefits of having these Lady Bugs in the garden, I can't help myself, I am happy, and smiling.
These little bugs are the kind that you want to see in your garden!
They are wanted for their ability to eat immense numbers of "bad
bugs" that gardeners and farmers all over the world seem to have.
Surprisingly, they are fairly long lived as bugs go! They have a life span of 2
to 3 years. Did you know that? According to the National Geographic that's what
a lifetime for a lady bug is!
Others tend to think that lady bugs live a few
months to a couple of years, I've never been able to follow just one to find
out for myself which estimate is correct!
From the time I was a young girl (not so many years ago) I
have always loved these little critters. I did not know then, that these were
some of the best bugs to have around. That was long before I became a gardener
or had any inkling of getting my hands dirty! I just know that I liked them even when I was younger. If one would happen to land on
me, my day just seemed to be great!
Lady Bugs are Beneficial to Gardens
While most bugs in the garden tend to hide, these little guys
just seem to scream, "Here I am!"
I can remember my sister and I
going out to the garden to hunt these lady bugs and see who could get more of
them........It was a game that we would play for hours.
When we had enough of them gathered in a jar, my mother
would immediately take us out to the tomato garden and watch us release our
beauties right there. She would be pleased as punch that she now had her own
"army" to do some of the gardening work!
My sister and I wouldn't
mind either, because we could go out and watch them all day long.
Now that I am all grown up, I think back to those Lady Bug
hunting days with a smile on my lips, because I still go out to my garden to
look for my little lovelies!
But, I also look for ways to encourage them to stay in my
garden! That means planting things that will in effect also draw aphids. That
is not hard to do, because aphids have got to be one of the biggest garden
pests going and they are attracted to many different kinds of flowers,
including roses.
So if you are a lover of roses, you just might want to also
become a lover of Lady Bugs!
Lady Bugs are a favorite for many people. There are many different items available with lady bugs as their motif. From jewelry to coffee mugs. games and books, all use the lovely red/black and white coloring of the lady bugs to enchant and captivate their audience. I think that's one of the reasons you will find them in so
many places.
I can remember when we first had our children. My sweetling ( one of hubbie's pet names) was a budding carpenter (woodworker) and decided that he would build our baby's
crib! He did a great job and while it was painted a very plain white, we wanted
something to brighten up the new baby's bedroom. Well, of course I went out looking
for lady bugs! Truth be known, at the time they were hard to find, and I didn't
trust my artistic ability. We searched and searched and searched (this was
pre-internet days) and could not find what we wanted.
The baby's grandparents were on the way to Switzerland and there
they found some beautiful ladybug decals. So, when they were back home, the
decals were the first things to find a special place, and that was on the
headboard and foot-board of the new crib........
Today I would have found some pictures and painted them on
the crib myself, but like I said earlier, I didn't trust my artistic abilities
at that time.
How things have changed. Since that time (almost 45 years
ago) lady bugs and insects in general have been given a whole new spotlight on
the decorator's radar. You can find all kinds of bugs, beetles, insects and
more to decorate your child's room. Not to mention flowers, and trees and a
host of other "earth friendly" decorating ideas.
The Charm of Lady Bugs
Lady Bugs are considered to be good luck, so if you get one to visit you, you are lucky too!
There is something charming about Lady Bugs, and I don't
really know why they stand out. It could be their color as those cute little
red, black and bits of white, just make me smile. Maybe it's the whole idea
that they are beneficial bugs that makes them desired, all I know is that,every time I wear my Lady Bug pin, someone comments on it.
There are rhymes that are told about Lady Bugs, stories that
are written about Lady Bugs and a whole lot more.
The bottom line is that lady bugs with their primary colors
are wonderful ways to get children involved with their surroundings and get
them thinking in earth friendly terms. I think the earth would appreciate
having some youngsters interested in keeping the world green and healthy!
>
Start small
and work your way up to some real Earth Friendly activities! Budding
entomologists, scientists, gardeners, are being formed just by awareness, and
you can't start too early for that.
Get your little ones started on the road to learning about
the earth and it's bugs with - a host of stories and books about the critters
around them!
A deep love for all things of the earth are possible if you
take the time to encourage that activity. Children are a natural place to
start, because their curiosity is boundless.
Feed that curiosity with books,
games and puzzles and who knows, you just might be encouraging the next
generation of "earth sciences" scientists.
Even grown ups love lady bugs, so let your inner child out
and enjoy what you did as a child.
Lady bugs are not just for kids to enjoy! If you loved them
as a child, there is nothing stopping you from loving them now too!
Grammie Olivia loves to write on Review This, and offer a few suggestions for you to enjoy with your youngsters. She is an Amazon Affiliate and if you click on her links, she will be paid a small commission. And because she loves LadyBugs so much you just know she will have them on her website`s banner!http://grammieknowshow.com/
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Very interesting read Olivia! Since I have roses, I was previously aware of the value of ladybugs in a garden, but I didn't know they might live up to 3 years. That is pretty cool for sure! By the way, I'm glad you got your decals. I know what that is like too when we want something specific for our children and can't find out.
ReplyDeleteThank you, today finding what you want for your children doesn't seem so hard. With the internet all things are possible. But at that time, over 40 years ago, you were much more dependent on what you could physically buy.
DeleteI knew ladybugs were helpful in the garden for controlling aphids on tomato plants. What I didn't know, until I looked it up, was that ladybugs aren't just red with black spots. They are also found in yellow and orange. And that in England they are known as Ladybirds. :)
ReplyDeleteIn the last few years we have had an invasion of European ladybugs and while they eat bugs, they also bite. So be aware. The European ones have many more spots on them and can be more of a yellowy orange, rather than the bright red and black.
DeleteI was very pleased to notice a ladybug in my little garden a few days ago. As I watched, it flew from where it was to another spot in the garden. Odd, but I'm not sure I had ever seen a ladybug fly! Interesting article about these beneficial and cute little bugs, Olivia!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, they fly, if you buy ladybugs, it's best to release them in your garden at evening time, as they will quickly find a plant they like and go to sleep...hopefully to stay in your yard the whole season.
DeleteWell this is timely, yesterday as I went to open our bedroom window, on the window ledge, inside our room was a lady bug :) - so it appears I'm heading for some good luck - I carefully opened the window and set it free
ReplyDeleteGood for you and good for the Ladybug....hope the luck comes to you and stays forever.....
ReplyDelete