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Introduced 28 ladybirds 2 weeks ago - how long to multiply?

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  • 10-06-2018 8:41pm
    #1
    euser1984
    Registered Users Posts: 1,977 ✭✭✭


    Half are female and half male.

    Thanks a mill


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    #2
    monty_python
    Registered Users Posts: 1,682 ✭✭✭monty_python


    Might be a stupid question but why would you introduce them to a garden?? Where did you buy them ???


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    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,437 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    https://www.mrmiddleton.com/mr-middletons-ladybirds/#product-reviews


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    #4
    RiderOnTheStorm
    Registered Users Posts: 2,132 ✭✭✭RiderOnTheStorm


    Tried something similar ladt year. Bought box of 50 ladybird larvae last summer and introduced them into my tunnel (hoping they will set up colony there and eat the greenfly). Can say I have noticed them since... But also, no greenfly this year.


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    #5
    Kuva
    Closed Accounts Posts: 870 ✭✭✭Kuva


    Money to burn


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    #6
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,526 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    gave me a chuckle that there's a returns policy on the ladybirds. you'd just have to go and catch them all again...


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    #7
    celticbhoy27
    Registered Users Posts: 885 ✭✭✭celticbhoy27


    I've a leylandi hedge all around my garden (there when I bought it) the amount of ladybirds that I see when I trim it is unbelievable. Same every year. Don't know why they're attracted, and am certainly not advocating the planting of leylandi, just an interesting observation


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    #8
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,526 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    that's interesting, we used to have leylandii and i never noticed the same effect.
    we have a wildlife friendly garden and have seen very few ladybirds so far. we're not short of aphids, though.


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    #9
    macraignil
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭macraignil


    euser1984 wrote: »
    Half are female and half male.

    Thanks a mill

    Worked for a seed producer company in the UK a few years back and was sent out with a jam jar with holes in the lid to collect ladybirds from strong growing nettles and grass where some waste compost had been piled up. They do seem to congregate near strong healthy growth (which might explain the leylandii concentration noted above). Got twenty something collected in about half an hour. They had to use these to control the aphids in their tunnels when they were a problem close to the crop setting seed as spraying would have set the crop back too much.

    Tried the same myself a couple of years later and noticed within a couple of minutes a ladybird taking off and flying back in the direction it had been collected from, so I reckon there are a lot of variables on how your population will develop.


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    #10
    jaxxx
    Registered Users Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭jaxxx


    euser1984 wrote: »
    Half are female and half male.

    Thanks a mill


    How do you know they're half and half? Did someone go out and pull up the lady bugs' skirts?


    [Jurassic Park reference :D]


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