How to grow ladybugs at home?

Part 1 Ladybug Detection

Find the ladybug.
Look where ladybugs usually hide: under the leaves of plants infested with aphids (inspect roses and other flowers, or flowering fruit trees). Ladybugs also like to hide in crevices that can be found on buildings, such as window frames.
- Ladybugs love aphids, it is their main source of food.
Take the ladybug.
Catch the ladybug with a net or your hands, just don't let it fly away. Cover it with your second palm, but do not crush it. Carefully place the ladybug in the jar and you can begin to take care of it.

Part 2 Arrangement of housing for the ladybug

Use a plastic container of sufficient size for the ladybug.
The size of the container should be sufficient for short flights and overnight sleeping arrangements. Add twigs, leaves and petals for variety (any leaves or flowers should be replaced daily to prevent rotting). Provide the ladybug with a place to hide, such as a hollow stick or a small toy with holes in it.
Read also: Leaf beetles: harm and benefit, ways to combat garden pests
- You can also use an insectarium.
If keeping the ladybug for more than 24 hours, use a hermit crab container.
They will not be able to get out of it, but at the same time they will be comfortable. Place fresh herbs inside daily. You will also need to feed the insect daily.

Part 3 Ladybug care

Provide the ladybug with food.
Feed her a little honey or sugar. Place food in a small bottle cap.
- You can also feed your ladybug raisins or lettuce.
Fill a plastic bottle cap with water.
There should be very little water so that the ladybug does not drown.
Feed the ladybug twice a day.
You shouldn't give her too much food, just a little...
Be careful when handling a ladybug.
This must be done as follows:
- Place your finger next to the ladybug. It must touch the surface on which she is sitting.
Now it's on your hand, but be careful!
Consider releasing the ladybug into the wild after 24 hours.
Read also: The role of insects in nature, their practical importance for humans
You've had enough time to get to know her habits, return her to her usual duties of saving your garden from pests.

What you will need

Sugar, aphids or honey
Leaves
Container
Bottle caps
Ladybug
Grass
Stones
Sticks

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Each of us has been familiar with these small, cute bugs since childhood, whose red bodies are decorated with funny black dots. It turns out that these harmless creatures are capable of destroying entire hordes of dangerous garden pests that cause a lot of trouble for people. Gardeners and gardeners are well aware of aphids, as well as what the proximity to them can lead to. But, having settled, for example, ladybugs on your plot, you don’t have to worry about your harvest; aphids will not harm it.

Of course, it will be very difficult for one insect to cope with such a task, which means you need to turn to those who raise large numbers of insects for help. And try to buy a large batch from them.

The idea of building your own business by growing ladybugs seems tempting to many. Today we will talk to you about what you need to know and do to make this activity not only enjoyable, but also profitable.

Dual-use exotarium

Bakhcha Ponomarev is located 60 kilometers from Stavropol. There is a regional highway next to his farm, but tourists don’t use it much. Nevertheless, in the melon area, where a brisk trade in watermelons begins in mid-July, the cost of less than a dozen cars is rare. And on weekends, the parking lot nearby is full.

The Ponomarevs have a lot to see - in addition to the already famous straw figures, there is a small zoo with a camel, rabbits, ostrich and smaller birds, as well as an exotarium with ladybugs. But during the day, only moss is visible; in the heat, the insects themselves hide from the scorching sun.

“There are several thousand of them here, they hide during the day and only come out in the morning.” They really liked our conditions. Now ladybugs are actively breeding,” says Roman during a short excursion around the melon patch.

Coccinellids, which is the scientific name for these insects, were collected in the vicinity of the farm. The melon growers did not plan to save money in this way. These beetles simply do not need to be adapted to local conditions; they are already adapted to them.

Caring for them is simple: ladybugs have a sweet tooth, and they are fed with honey. The main source of food is aphids. Plants infected with this pest are placed in an exotarium. Ladybird larvae also feed on aphids.

- This is a natural entomophage. They are predators that eat agricultural pests: aphids, mealybugs and mites. Cows are very unpretentious - they survive even after treating fields with chemical insecticides. At the same time, the costs of their maintenance are minimal,” says Ponomarev. — Now the market price of one insect is about four rubles.

According to him, coccinellids are ideal for protecting greenhouses in winter. The complex with an area of 770 square meters on the territory of the melon plant can protect two thousand insects from pests. That's about a handful of bugs. Of course, if the greenhouses are very large, a small exotarium is not enough; you need to engage in full-fledged breeding of entomophages. For open ground, this method of protection is unlikely to be suitable - the insects will simply fly away.

Now the exotarium with ladybugs is part of the tourism infrastructure, which should attract even more guests to the melon planting

Now the exotarium with ladybugs is part of the tourism infrastructure, which should attract even more guests to the melon planting. However, in parallel, Ponomarev, together with his assistants, is studying the conditions of their maintenance and breeding, as well as the most effective methods of use in pest control. This year no one expects profit from insects, but starting next year, if this direction lives up to expectations, helper beetles will begin to be bred on an industrial scale.

“This is a necessary part of bioproduction, which eliminates the use of chemicals. Three years ago, when I started talking about this with other farmers, especially owners of large enterprises, they only smiled: they say, this is the age of chemistry. But chemicals are expensive, and the consequences of their use can be sad. By the way, now large agricultural businesses use bioinsecticides and biofungicides.

In addition to the ladybug, popularity may also come to lesser-known, but no less useful for farming, habrobracones - insects that immobilize pest larvae and lay their eggs in them. And large enterprises in Russia and abroad have already begun to produce preparations based on mushrooms, which also rid fields and greenhouses of unnecessary insects. - But even here you need to know when to stop. For example, in a preparation based on the bactisubtil culture, after the expiration date, substances are formed that can adversely affect plants. And the same ladybugs, or rather their larvae, in the absence of a food supply, begin to eat crops,” adds Ponomarev. - In any case, this new area needs to be studied. Over time, we will understand all the intricacies.

A comment

Alexey Abaldov, head of the non-profit organization “Union of Biological Farming”:

— Chemicals cannot be used in organic farming. In Russia, since 2022, Law No. 280 has been in force, which regulates this type of agricultural activity. But so far organic production is only a small sector of the agricultural economy. There are many reasons why farmers and large producers are afraid to do it. First of all, this is a lack of domestic experience. The developments that exist in the West cannot be used in our region, since our soils and climate are different.

With this method of work, it is necessary to combat outbreaks of diseases and pests not with pesticides, but with biological methods, but this is difficult for domestic farmers. In addition, in the first years, until the soil microflora is restored, crop yields decrease, and the products lose their marketable appearance. The harvest is reduced by 15-30 percent during this period. Not everyone can afford to do this.

Biologized farming, when agricultural technology combines chemical protection methods with biological ones, is much more accessible. We can, for example, when growing grain crops, replace chemical preparations by 30-40 percent with biological ones and not lose in the quality and quantity of the crop. Moreover, the cost will be reduced and the toxicity of the products will be reduced. It is also worth noting that we have a serious problem with the preservation of beneficial insects and soil microbiota. More than two dozen biofirms operate in the region, and biological products are used on 600 thousand hectares. But this is not enough.

Where to begin?

Before you start implementing your plans, you need to consider many factors and think things through carefully. Including the following question: where to put the products? Ladybugs, in large quantities, can be sold to greenhouse farmers, gardeners, and agronomists, who will send them to the fields. You can sell little red bugs via the Internet; those who want to purchase such a product will not have to wait long. Thus, you can sell both collected and grown bugs.

How to calculate the volume of goods? Insects are counted not by quantity, but by weight, since they are mobile, and this is not easy to do. In our country, one ladybug costs from one ruble.

Undoubtedly, in order for the cultivation of any living beings to be successful, and therefore profitable, knowledge is needed. It is necessary to collect as much information as possible about the behavior and reproduction of insects, but we will talk about this a little later.

What do these creatures look like?

Even a child can describe a ladybug. It is remembered by its bright color. There are:

scarlet;
yellow;
bronze;
red;
cherry;
brown.

The insect is small in size - up to 10 mm. The shape is convex, round.

The body structure is divided into the following parts:

The latter consists of three sections. These include paws - there are six of them; abdomen and wings with elytra.

These beetles fly using two wings located at the back. The front ones are rigid, their main function is to protect those with the help of which ladybugs fly. They have black dots or spots , depending on their type. These patterns also differentiate the sex of insects.

Where to find insects?

Do you want to get some ladybugs? There is a lot of time for this - from early spring to the end of summer, insects are active and lead their usual way of life. Most often they are collected mechanically. To do this, they go to the edge of the forest, to a field, or to a ravine. But how can we see small insects in the motley, multi-colored palette of the plant world? It turns out that there are plants that attract ladybugs. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at tansy, yarrow, daisies, dill and other members of the Asteraceae family. If you do not come across these plants, go to a buckwheat field or a field sown with oats.

Why are insects bred?

The ladybug is bred specifically to help fight aphids. In one day, one insect can destroy up to a hundred individuals, and the larvae up to 400. Some species eat spider mites, which feed on plant sap.

Ladybugs help fight aphids

Aphids are dangerous to the crop. By sticking its proboscis into a leaf or stem, it releases a special enzyme and absorbs juices, depleting the plant, stopping its development and growth. And when there are hundreds of these pests, they can easily destroy the entire crop, which is why farmers are so actively breeding insects to combat this threat. Moreover, ladybugs eat very little at home and do not require any special expenses.

Meet the ladybug

The ladybug is a classic example of an insect with a full cycle of transformation. That is, in her example we can see how a larva emerges from an egg, then a pupa, and then an adult. Each stage of development is interesting in its own way, let’s watch this process too.

Gardeners need to know what ladybug eggs look like so as not to confuse them with a disease or eggs of dangerous pests and destroy them. As we have already said, the ladybug is a beneficial insect, so it needs to be protected and not destroyed.

In due time, larvae emerge from the eggs. They are so small that it is quite difficult to see them with the naked eye. The larvae emerge from the eggs on the third day, each no more than a millimeter long, and already on the second day of life they will have their first molt. The emerging bug is large in size, and its color resembles that of an adult individual.

The larvae are mobile throughout the day, they fuss and constantly look for food, but the mother did everything to ensure that these searches were crowned with success. After all, the eggs were laid where there are aphid colonies. On the third day, repeated molting occurs, and their length becomes 5 mm.

Under natural conditions, most of the larvae die, because they do not have wings, and it is very difficult for them to escape from enemies. The larva looks strange, and only after examining it carefully, one can guess that this is a future ladybug. Therefore, amateur gardeners often destroy the larvae, believing that they are pest beetles. Having existed for a week, the larvae, after the next molt, grow even more, and their length is already approaching 1.5 cm. After this, pupation begins on the plant stem.

In nature, these processes occur more slowly, because the larvae have much less food than at home. The bug that appears as a pupa vaguely resembles a beautiful cow, its color is not the same.

Some people mistakenly believe that every year one dot appears on the back of an insect; all seven dots appear immediately after birth.

The main task of a newborn bug is to dry its wings, so it spreads them and folds them. The color of the back gradually changes, from yellow it turns into red, with funny dots. As a rule, the transformation occurs within a day, and the bug becomes a ladybug, the way we are used to seeing it. On the first day they do not fly, but run and eat.

What are the features of the life cycle of a cow?

The ladybug has an oval-elongated body, flat below and convex above, with inconspicuous hair in some individuals. The size is approximately four to ten millimeters. The head is small with segmented antennae. The insect has six legs with which it moves quickly, and it flies thanks to its two hind wings. The front wings perform a protective function when the ladybug is on the ground.

The color of the insect can be different in configuration with each other:

bright red;
yellow;
Navy blue;
black;
brown.

The pattern on the back indicates gender. In total there are about four thousand species of cows, the most famous:

point-to-point;
seven-point;
twelve-point;
thirteen-point;
seventeen-point;

Ladybug can have different colors

blue;
pointless;
Asian.

Insects live separately and gather together for mating, wintering or migration. The life cycle of one cow is short, on average up to one year under positive conditions and good nutrition; if there is a lack of diet, it is shortened by a couple of months. To scare away enemies, they use a special liquid that smells strongly and therefore frogs, spiders and other ill-wishers eliminate themselves.

Sexual period occurs between the third and sixth months of life, most often in mid-spring. The partner searches for the female by the smell she gives off. Then mating occurs and she lays eggs near the food source (on the leaves of plants). One clutch can contain up to 400 eggs. After mating games, most females die.

The larvae appear after a week or two; at first they feed on the remains of the egg, and after gaining strength they switch to a normal diet.

Complete pupation occurs after five to seven weeks.
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Growing at home

Not all insects in natural conditions can withstand the cold. It's the same with bugs living in an artificial environment. Therefore, if you decide to start growing them, get pets in the spring. The chances that your insects will be healthy and viable will increase. Moreover, with the arrival of the first warm days, the activity of beetles is not yet high, they stay in groups, and it is not difficult to collect them.

A house for ladybugs can be a plastic terrarium with a lid, a plywood box with slots for air circulation, or a wooden cage with a covered top.

Dry leaves, small branches or wood shavings should be placed at the bottom of the box. In such conditions, the insects will be comfortable, they can live for several months, overwinter, and begin to mate in the spring.

Where did the name come from?

In Latin, in science, ladybugs are called coccineus. Translated, this means scarlet. This is what these creatures were called for their bright colors. People in different countries have come up with all sorts of other nicknames that characterize these insects:

in Germany - the Virgin Mary beetle;
in Latin America - St. Antonio's cow;
in Tajikistan - a red-bearded grandfather;
in Ukraine, in Belarus - the sun;
in England - lady bird.

In Russia, according to legend, the first part of the name comes from the fact that in places where there are a large number of these beetles, there is always an excellent harvest. They are called “cows” due to the liquid they secrete, similar to milk - cantharidin. It is poisonous to insects, which saves the lives of ladybugs in times of danger.

Nutrition

In spring and autumn, wet or dried raisins and pieces of cotton wool dipped in sweet water are placed in the boxes. Wet moss (sphagnum) is laid on the bottom. It is very important to comply with these requirements, since moisture is no less important for them than food, and if both are not enough, they will die.

In spring or early summer, there are few or no aphids at all, so ladybugs get all the nutrients they need for life from cotton wool moistened with sweet water. It, along with moistened cubes of refined sugar, is laid out on the floor of the box. After waking up, moisture is vital for insects. Therefore, every day, you need to spray water from a spray bottle in the box. Cows are given pollen from the first flowering plants, for example, coltsfoot. Insects love to feast on flowering willow. A jar with such a bouquet standing in water can be placed in a box or cage. In three to four days the bouquet will need to be replaced with a new one.

It is very difficult to feed the beetles without them flying out, especially if the air temperature is high. If possible, move the cage to a room with a temperature no higher than 15-17C. The light should not fall on the house, only then will it be difficult for the beetles to find their way to freedom.

If the air temperature rises to 20C or higher, the beetles will begin to show increased activity, fly continuously, refuse to eat, and fall. To prevent this, with the onset of hot weather, the cages are taken to a cold place, with a temperature no higher than 15C. You will notice how active insects will become calmer, their appetite will return, they will stop flying chaotically and begin mating. Choose a secluded corner where there will be partial shade most of the day, and place the box with bugs there.

How to arrange a cow's home

Housing for an insect is not difficult to make: an ordinary closed wooden box will do, the main thing is to provide normal humidity - just put dried or moistened raisins. In warm weather, you need to maintain the temperature; in hot weather, it is better to move the house to a cool place. You should feed the ladybug at home regularly.

Cute and harmless ladybugs are an ardent enemy of aphids and save a large amount of crops. Therefore, agronomists and farmers often keep these insects at home. It is important to properly furnish the house for them and organize food.

Reproduction

At home, ladybugs reproduce well, and in the spring their numbers increase significantly. Plants that have aphids on them are placed in boxes; after a while, if you look closely, you can find aphid eggs on the leaves. Leaves with oviposition will need to be taken out and transferred to another cage or glass jar, and new ones will be placed on the cows. The eggs will be laid on the back of the leaves, perhaps this is how insects take care of their safety, so don’t be lazy to look under the leaves. Just make sure that you don’t add ants to the cows; they are usually located next to the aphids.

Care and caution

The ladybug is small (an adult reaches an average of 0.8−1 cm) and fragile, so any attempt to pick it up or play with it can lead to negative consequences. Precautionary and careful measures when caring for a bug are the following:

It is better to catch the animal with a net.
In order to take an insect in your hand, you need to place your finger next to it and wait for it to climb onto it.
The ideal temperature for life and reproduction of Coccinellidae is considered to be +20 ⁰ C, so it is recommended to avoid hypothermia.

Do not forget that your pet is an insect, so after each contact with it it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

Curious facts

Some world cultures prohibit the destruction of these insects, as there is a belief that such actions will bring trouble to their people. In many Western countries, this beetle is believed to bring good luck. His image can still be seen on clothing and jewelry.

There are many signs that are associated with this unique insect. It is noteworthy that they almost always foreshadow favorable events. If an insect lands on your hand or clothing, you should not drive it away, otherwise you can scare away good luck. A bug flew into the house - for a childless family this means the opportunity to have a child in the near future.