Ovet the last 2-3 years I've hardly seen any lady birds, is this just in my area? or are others finding the same. I have all the right type of plants in my garden. that they used to overwinter in, i can remember one summer being stood in my front garden and almost being smothered in them, but these hast couple of years i've literally only seen a couple.I hope they're not dying out,mind you it was only a couple of years ago that I found out what their larvae look like! I have a large bronze fennel and joe pye weed in my front garden and that get's absolutly smotherted in hoverflies, and later when the sedums are out the front is awash with butterflies,loads of people used to stop and peer in the garden as literally hundreds of butterflies were fluttering around.But, it's thise lady birds I want to see, my climbing rose was covered in greenfly last year, and as i don't like to spray ,they had to stay that way.Has anyone got any ideas of some other plants that maybe will bring them scurrying back to my plot ? :-)
where are my lady birds?
Was dividing an Anemone japonica for my mother this afternoon and there was a ladybird hiding among the roots. So perhaps they've all moved down to Kent - I do see quite a few. Like you I have plenty of fennel and other goodies to attract the insects. i don't spray anything either. If it doesn't like it, it goes!
I often find my roses start to get greenfly, but usually i squish a few and then the hovers and ladybirds get going and we all live together happily (or not, hopefully, in the case of the greenfly LOL).
The 7 spot ladybird has been in decline due to parasitic insects and several surveys were conducted in Scotland to see how much in decline they were.
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artfeb01/prog99.html
Here is another link for ladybirds:
http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/courses/en507/papers_2001/olsen.htm
I find untidy areas of the garden beneficial to insects especially over the winter. Achillea and similar plants (carrots with some green on the top from the supermarkets are great and cheap) attract a bunch of beneficial insects too.
thanks Baa,so maybe it's not just my garden that they're deserting then !
As for leaving untidy parts to the garden, i've got that o.k. :-)I keep trying to persuede hubby that he'd like to go out and do some work in my garden, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.!
LOL Sueone, your hubby could always use the excuse that he's helping the local wildlife population.
We took down a Rhododenron bush last week and found it had been hiding the compost heaps, opps! Just have to do some effective camoflage planting now.
Well i certainly need the ladybirds as going round the garden there were thousands of greenfly on my beloved roses, so my fingers became killing machines, but i bet there will be more on them tomorrow.
Just found three 7 spot ladybirds roosting in my Helichrysum rosmarinifolius. So it does pay to have an untidy garden, LOL ;)