If you don't spray any insecticides to kill them and they have food, they or their offspring will stick around indefinitely. I've never had to import them.
Release them in the cool of the evening close to sundown so they'll stay the night. I've also heard that if refrigerated before release, they'll settle on your plants to warm up rather than fly away when released.
Don't expect miracles. One cannot predict how Mom Nature
will work.

i agree with karl, if you don't spray and kill them they will be there. i've never bought any. sometimes you rarely see them, but they are there. when you don't see any aphids, etc. and they like to overwinter in my house. that's when i know how many there are. I would think that if you have aphids and don't spray they will show up from somewhere. It's like how the birds seem to always go right behind me cleaning up any seeds i sow. This morning i noticed a few leaves were eaten on a few of my roses, and today i heard the troops arriving with their battle cry of "bob-white,bob bob white". I guess they follow the food source also.

my children and the others in the complex ususally announce every creepy-crawlie they see. (Eeeeeee! Spider!!) They also like ladybugs but have not been reporting them. I said if you see a ladybug to put it on the roses. They have not as of yet. And I figure, for a small outlay of cash it will be also kind of fun. I knew about applying in the evening but thanks for the tip on refrigerating them too. I will be taking the rest out to the parents' so that will work out nicely.
I also read to put out a shallow container of water, as bugs need water too of course. Won't they drown? How shallow? A sour cream container lid?

Hopefully next week my daughter will have something pretty cool to talk about for the last show and tell of the school year. (she can bring the container they came in.)

Just released a few thousand with my kids around the roses, they had a blast! Not really a downside but LB's are still falling out of my hair! Have a bunch in the kitchen now so I placed a small saucer with water and they started drinking immediately, they get really thirsty after shipment.
Have been at our present home for a little over 5 years and can't remember ever seeing any LB's, just the orange asian one's that bite. So about 6 weeks ago we went out at night (followed directions) watered the garden and released a few thousand LB's. After a few days there were none to be seen, was O.K. with this because directions mentioned if there was no food source they would move on. If after a few days they all leave, no problem. Just hope that they stay nearby and help repopulate the local area.
By the way, on year two of using no chemicals around the house. Just remebered, only chemical I still use is Scott's Starter fertilzer for the lawn, no weed killer.

Jimmy

its funny at my garden; this year there are quite a bit of LB's on the roses, and i spray every 7-10 days with bordo copper. it doesn't seem to bother them cause they are everywhere. mind you, there are a lot of aphids too...

I just released the hordes into the roses. They mulled about, some got a drink, a couple flew the hatch and a few got busy (as in amorous). Celebrating thier newfound freedom?
Several gathered into groups, discussing strategy and territories...Will keep you posted.

I have had very good luck with lady bugs. As stated above release them at night they will be less active,also take a left over cola coke or pepsi :) and mix it 50/50 with water and when you release them in the evening spray them with mixture it makes there wings sticky for a few days they procreate fast , before they leave at least the ones that do leave will lay eggs, (I read this quite a few years ago somewhere on the net) and a few years later when removing 5 privets for rose bed there were thousands in the bushes, the larve look like little alligators , in fact I watched one in the back yard in in its parculiar behavior I thought , it didn't move for several days and went through its little metamorphis I would check it morning and evening i got to see it come out. It was fantastic , wish I would have taken pics, I have since moved 3 hrs away havent sprayed and I have lots here I wonder if I brought them with me. hugh! :) and needless to say i have no aphids and I didn't spray in the process of replanting my 100 roses that I brought.

Good Luck

SuzyQ