Attracting Lady Bugs

[digitS']

I learned something today. Lady Bugs eat, besides their usual diet of pest aphids and mites, pollen and nectar. Leastwise, that's what Colorado State University tells us (link).

Many gardeners plant things that attract the pollinators. Some bees are attracted to flowers and prey on insects as well. Hover flies are in this group but I've found that yellow jackets and paper wasps show up on wild carrot and fennel. I've learned that these guys may be dangerous but they are my garden friends.

Below is a picture of flowers that have this major attraction to lady bugs! I don't know what they are doing there but assumed that it was because of aphids. However, I cannot find any aphids! The lady bugs swarm the plants!!

Aphids can be a big problem in my garden. I really shouldn't bother growing cabbage. There's no good organic way to kill the aphids and they do so much damage. And sure, they like broccoli. However, the broccoli has been nearly aphid-free this year! Why? I wonder if it isn't because the broccoli is planted next to the Strawflowers!

They were all over the plants and soon, all over me while I was cutting the Strawflower for drying! Dozens! Hundreds! Maybe Thousands!

Steve
let's see if I can edit in the picture instead of a link:

 

[so lucky]

Beautiful strawflowers, Steve.

 

[digitS']

Thanks, @so lucky .

I used the shaky pc to post this so it really messed it up - duplicate threads/link in one thread & picture in the other .

I decided to use the dry flowers since they open. I cut them before, while the flowers are buds.

I bet every stem averages more than 3 lady bugs each. Most fly away immediately but enough hang around that they are all over the bunch of flowers, my arm, hat, etc.

One even bit me! That's what I like! Spunk.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I almost bought a tub of ladybugs ths spring, they where at checkout impluse buy.

 

[baymule]

Strawflowers! I didn't know that, thanks for sharing. Aphids turned my collards gray this early spring, so I just left them. The lady beetles showed up, bred and multiplied and soon there were no more aphids. So if you want the good bugs to show up, don't poison the bad bugs.

I also have bright orange assassin bugs in my garden. They swarm all over the green beans and butterbeans and most everything else. Used to get gray aphids on the green beans, but no more!

 

[ninnymary]

I saw a green ladybug on my lime tree. Didn't know if it was a good or bad bug, so I left it.

Mary

 

[the1honeycomb]

I never heard of a bright orange assassin bug will look it up and thanks for the word on straw flowers! I will be planting several this spring are they perennial? did you order the seeds? or buy the plants?
I do know that there is a japanese bug that looks like a lady bug that bites, from what I've read the lady bugs don't bite. sometimes they hang out together

 

[baymule]

I saw a green ladybug on my lime tree. Didn't know if it was a good or bad bug, so I left it.

Mary

A green lady bug is no lady! Sounds like a cucumber beetle-CRUSH, SMASH, SMUSH, KILL IT!! Google cucumber beetle for a picture, some are spotted, some are striped black on lime green. Pretty, but BAD BUGS!

 

[digitS']

It may have been CSU who say lady bugs "usually" don't bite, altho' the Asian variety is more inclined.

I think that they can bite all they want - kinda like the coyote who comes after the dang bunnies! With ladybugs, it's a love bite anyway.

Strawflowers are easy to start from seed. They are an annual. I doubt that it is even very important for strawflowers to be started indoors.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I don't remember them biting as a kid when we collected them in jars.