I buy ladybugs every year and they work wonders. Just release them in the evening and make sure you spray them with a 50/50 mixture of Coke and water. It makes thier wings stick together so they can not fly for a day or so. also i would spray the garden with the hose just to get some water on the leaves, they will need a drink of water. Hope this helps.

{{gwi:103058}}

Dale

anc, I bought 1000 LBs here locally. I kept them in the fridge until the next afternoon, then took them out so the warmth would "wake them up." Then at dusk I watered the garden and released the ladybugs. They'll hang around as long as they have aphids to eat!

Thanks Dale!! cute pic, if he can do it, I should be able to, lol

Would you look at the hair on that child? How adorable. How great it is to teach a little one not to be 'skeered' of creepy crawlies in the garden.

well I just bought 2,000 lady bugs, will be here on the 19th!! and no delivery charge and they were only $23.00!! I have plenty of aphids, they are now in the watermelons, I hear ants protect aphids, how is that going to interact with the ladybugs?

The ants will not affect the ladybugs in my experience. Most of the ants will go away when the aphids are gone.

Dale

Thanks Dale!!!

I've seen ants fight off ladybugs. They ganged up on the poor girls.

Beyond that, here's a dissenting voice about buying ladybugs.

Some researchers believe that native population are damaged because the only reason they can be sold is to have someone collect them while dormant.

Further, the most common response after release, is to fly, fly away home. (They're genetically programmed to do so.)

Further, far too many die on the shelf before they are even sold. (That's bug abuse!)

Much better to enhance their population in your garden with plant diversity and lots of small flowers where they and other beneficial insects can obtain pollen & nectar.

Cheaper, too.

Thanks Jean for the input :) well when I get the ladybugs I will water the garden well (so they have water) and put them where the aphids are (meal) for them and release them after dark, they say that they won't fly after dark, we did plant a variety of flowers that growing and blooming, after they eat the aphids, they can do what they want (go back home or stay) at least I feel good about getting them off that damn shelve :)