Ladybugs Attack! Part 1

One of the downsides to gardening is pest control. I discovered aphids sucking on one of Andrew’s fuchsias and one of the pansies.

 I decided on an organic form of pest control: coccinellidae or ladybugs.

Neither Andrew nor I had ever used them, but I had heard they are efficient.

We didn’t realize that inside the folded label were directions. Two, which I think are very important; release them at dusk, so they settle in for the night and water before you do.

We poured them into several pots on his porch and the garden area out back.

Into the fuchsia baskets.

Into the nasturtium pots.

Into the pansy pot. You can see I had to remove a pansy that was too infested. The empty spot, at the bottom of the photo, is littered with dead aphids.

Into the garden.

It didn’t take long for the ladybugs to find dinner.

I kept an eye out for them in the following week. This small group of them hung around for three days on the fuchsia basket.

They did a great job of cleaning up the aphids. I checked with pest control at Koida Nursery and their specialist, Bruce, said that ladybugs have a territory spanning a mile radius. They will fly away, but it may take some time for them to return.