Yes, you can purchase ladybugs for your garden, as they are widely available for biological pest control. These insects, which are beetles belonging to the Coccinellidae family, are often referred to as lady beetles or ladybird beetles. Their popularity stems from their voracious appetite for soft-bodied garden pests. They primarily consume aphids, though they also consume mites, mealybugs, and scale insects. An adult ladybug can consume up to 100 aphids per day, making them a natural defense against common garden infestations and aligning with organic gardening practices.
Where to Purchase Beneficial Ladybugs
Ladybugs are commonly sourced through several commercial channels, making them accessible to most gardeners. The easiest places to find them are local garden centers, nurseries, and agricultural feed stores, particularly during the spring and summer months. For larger quantities or specialized needs, online biological supply companies and insectaries offer direct-to-consumer shipping. These vendors typically ship the insects in a mesh bag or container mixed with wood shavings for cushioning.
The species most frequently sold commercially is the Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens). This species is recognizable by the two converging white lines on its thorax. It is favored by suppliers because it naturally gathers in massive overwintering aggregations in cool, high-altitude areas. The availability of these huge, wild-caught populations is the primary reason this species dominates the commercial market.
Proper Handling Before Release
Upon receiving your purchased ladybugs, immediate and proper handling is necessary to ensure their survival and effectiveness. The insects are typically shipped in a cool, dormant state to keep them calm and minimize stress during transit. You must immediately place them in cool storage, such as a refrigerator, to maintain this dormancy until you are ready to release them. The ideal storage temperature range is generally between 35° and 45° Fahrenheit, which prevents them from freezing while keeping them inactive.
Commercially packaged ladybugs are often dehydrated from their journey and require moisture before deployment. Before storing or releasing them, gently mist the inside of their container with a small amount of water, being careful not to create standing puddles. If you plan to store them for more than a few days, you can periodically re-mist the container to provide hydration. Keeping them cool and hydrated for several hours or overnight is important to ensure they are active and ready to feed once released, rather than immediately flying away in search of water.
Strategies for Effective Deployment
The timing of the release is a primary factor in encouraging the ladybugs to settle and begin controlling pests in your garden. The best time to deploy the beetles is in the early evening, just around sunset, when temperatures are beginning to drop. Ladybugs are reluctant to fly in the dark and cooler temperatures, which forces them to spend the night in your garden rather than dispersing immediately. This overnight period allows them to acclimate to the new environment and find a source of food and water.
To further encourage retention, thoroughly water the release area beforehand, ensuring the plants and soil are damp. This moisture provides the thirsty, newly awakened insects with an immediate source of hydration. Release the ladybugs at the base of plants that show the heaviest concentration of pests, such as aphids. Releasing them directly onto the ground beneath the infested plants maximizes the chance that they will quickly discover their intended food source.
Instead of releasing all purchased ladybugs in one spot, deploy them in small batches over the course of a few days. This strategy helps to distribute the population more evenly throughout the garden and reduces the immediate competition for food, which can trigger mass dispersal. You can also help keep them satisfied by planting a variety of flowering species that provide adult beetles with supplementary pollen and nectar. Flowers like dill, yarrow, and fennel are known to attract and sustain ladybug populations, encouraging them to remain in the area to reproduce.
Understanding the Risks of Commercial Sourcing
While buying ladybugs seems like a simple solution, there are several ecological and effectiveness risks associated with commercially sourced populations. The primary concern is that the vast majority of ladybugs sold are wild-caught from overwintering sites, meaning they were not raised in a controlled environment. These wild aggregations can be susceptible to parasites and diseases, which the collected beetles may carry and potentially introduce to native ladybug populations in your area. Research has shown that a percentage of wild-collected Convergent Lady Beetles can be infected with the internal parasite Dinocampus coccinellae or a pathogen called Microsporidia.
The most common issue for gardeners is the high rate of dispersal, often called the “fly-away” problem. Because the beetles are collected while in a migratory state and are then starved during cold storage, their first impulse upon warming up is to fly away to find food and establish a new habitat. Studies indicate that a large percentage, sometimes over 95%, of released adult ladybugs will disperse from the garden within hours or a couple of days, regardless of the pest population. This rapid migration means the impact on your pest problem may be brief, making the purchase a short-term fix rather than a lasting solution.