Friendly bugs, beneficial insects, love 'em

Fern_Merkin

I think the role of beneficial insects gets left out of conversations cos we're all so keen to get goin in the garden. I love bugs! Here are a few we all need more of
Ladybird larvae are odd creatures but they'l eat a massive amount of aphids! No greenfly is safe, never mind parthenogenesis, these guys will eat the mothers!
http://images.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&cr=countryUK|countryGB&q=ladybird+larvae&btnG=Search+Images

Bumble bees, Always lovely.
http://www.beedata.com/files/beneficial-insects.PDF

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg44.php

If you like the info below on housing the good ones Knock up your own!
http://www.defenders.co.uk/sundries/housing-for-beneficial-garden-creatures.html

http://www.open2.net/sciencetechnologynature/worldaroundus/yourgarden.html

Hope this helps. I just want more people to know what ladybird larvae look like!(first link) I'm their biggest fan.

Fx

idlikemymoneybackplease

Oh no I think I removed 3 ladybird larvae when weeding this afternoon. Thought they looked like strange hairy caterpillars so put them in the green waste bin with weeds.:eek:

Fern_Merkin

idlikemymoneybackplease wrote: »

Oh no I think I removed 3 ladybird larvae when weeding this afternoon. Thought they looked like strange hairy caterpillars so put them in the green waste bin with weeds.:eek:

They'l be fine so long as you didn't squash em! You didn't did you?

Well you wont do it again

Relax, there'l be more.

Fx

idlikemymoneybackplease

No sqashing done here apart from slugs snails.
Hope I get more, planted a golden hopes last year and it did well but got covered in greenfly or I think thats what it was. Its coming back now so could do with ladybirds.

idlikemymoneybackplease

Sorry about spelling one too many

weegie.geek

Ladybird pupae are also fun because if you find them all curled up and you touch them, they straighten out for about half a second then curl back up. I'm not sure quite how long they'll do that for, but I got bored before they did.

nopot2pin

weegie.geek wrote: »

Ladybird pupae are also fun because if you find them all curled up and you touch them, they straighten out for about half a second then curl back up. I'm not sure quite how long they'll do that for, but I got bored before they did.

Weegie.. you need to get out more :eek:

weegie.geek

nopot2pin wrote: »

Weegie.. you need to get out more :eek:

No, if I harass baby ladybirds when I'm outside I should stay in, surely?

nopot2pin

weegie.geek wrote: »

No, if I harass baby ladybirds when I'm outside I should stay in, surely?

Hmmmm :think:

You know, you do have a point there

teedy23

I never see any ladybirds now, I remember seeing an ad. asking if you saw one to put it in a matchbox and send it to some institution or other. Have the cunning swin* cornered the market in Ladybirds. Saw one in Lanzarote a few weeks ago was going to capture it and take it home were it would be well fed, but thought it would expire before I got it home ho-hum.

Also, must be a weegie thing, I actually spoke to a bumble-bee I met in the garden yesterday, said to it "hey Mr Bee why you buzzin around?" I swear to you this is the truth. It didnt reply, so thats good news right?

Elle1971

I love ladybirds! Hubby hates them - but waht does he know eh?

We had a small swarm of them recently in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote. I came indoors with six of the little loves on my sleeve.

Apart from here - I hadn't seen any since 1976 in the UK (anyone else remember that? Or am I just old?) :rotfl:

Elle xx