29 October 2021

Where do Ladybirds Live?

Ladybirds are one of your best friends when it comes to looking after your garden. These small red/orange beetles with black spots might look cute, but they are actually fierce protectors of plants. Ladybirds are voracious hunters that eat many garden pests such as aphids, mites and other small insects. As such, you may be asking where do ladybirds live? How can I look after them and how can I attract more? In answer to those questions here is a guide to this small but helpful garden beetle.

Ladybirds in Your Garden

When asking where do ladybirds live, the answer is just about everywhere. Ladybirds can be found in many places in the average garden. You can find them living in shrubs, in trees, and even sometimes in the home. Ladybirds are particularly attracted to the flowering plants like rose bushes. This is because these plants also attract a lot of garden pests: aphids, mites, beetle larvae and other insects. Ladybirds will devour many garden pests, which helps to keep your garden healthy. Ladybirds and their young also drink frequently so will often be found in well-watered gardens.

Ladybird Facts

• The most common type of ladybird has a red or orange dome with black spots. However, there are other species with different colours, stripes, and even hairy bodies. In all there are about 6000 different species of ladybirds globally.
• Ladybirds not only eat insects but they enjoy pollen, sap and nectar from certain types of flowers too.
• Where do ladybirds live? Ladybirds can appear in gardens in most types of climate. However, they often hibernate if the temperature gets too cold. The colder the climate, the longer the hibernation period.
• A Ladybird will ward off any predators by squirting out a yellow substance called ’reflex blood’. This liquid is toxic and foul smelling to most predators, but is not harmful to either you or the ladybird.
• Ladybirds can fly over long distances to seek out other food sources. They need plenty of food to lay their eggs: up to 2000 in one lifetime.

How to Look After Ladybirds

Now that you have answers to the question ‘where do ladybirds live?’ you will want to know how to make them stay. Plenty of flowering plants are a must for their main food source. Keeping your garden well-watered will also help keep their larvae nourished. Herbs such as dill and fennel will also help attract ladybirds. Avoid using any insecticides: even low toxic and eco-friendly ones can harm ladybirds or their food sources. Finally, a good quality ladybird feeder will help attract plenty of ladybirds to your garden and keep them fed in the colder months when food is more scarce.

Green Gardener Ladybird Feeders

Here at Green Gardener we make high quality bamboo ladybird feeders designed to attract ladybirds to your garden. Each feeder comes with sachets of food which you can mix with water and apply to the inside of the feeder. These feeders work well when hung near popular ladybird hibernation spots like conifers or ivy clad walls. To find out more about our ladybird houses, ladybird feeders and other related products, please visit our online store or get in touch with us today.