Gardeners are being urged to put ladybirds in their gardens this June for a very important reason.
The red-shelled beetle-like bugs are a classic staple of outdoor spaces across the UK, but they aren’t just a pretty visitor – in fact, they could be the most important thing you can encourage in your garden this June. That’s because despite their cutesy appearance, ladybirds are actually vicious serial killers, ripping through garden pests with bloodthirsty abandon. In fact, they hunt down the number one pest problem for gardeners in the summer months: aphids and greenflies.
Aphids, greenfly, whitefly and other tiny winged things are very bad news for anyone growing strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and various other fruiting crops in the summer. While they don’t eat the fruits directly, they instead sap at the life of the plant by attaching themselves to stems and draining the energy out of them.
This in turn leads to failed crops, deformed strawberries, wilting leaves and generally stunted growth as fruits struggle on without key nutrients that the flies have stolen.
And they’re extremely difficult to combat, because even commercial bug sprays often struggle to kill the hardy little things, with warnings on bottles that they are not 100% effective.
That’s where ladybirds come in. Ladybirds – known as ladybugs in the US – can eat dozens of aphids per day. In fact, many gardeners have turned to ordering ladybirds online (careful with that Google search), which you can have delivered to your door and then set loose in your greenhouse or in your raised beds.
Nick Wood, a horticulture expert from online garden centre Gardening Express, said: “Ladybirds are one of the best natural pest control methods we have in the UK.
“Inviting them to your garden will help reduce the need for chemical sprays, protect your plants and support local wildlife at the same time.”
If you don’t want to resort to buying them in, there are ways to encourage more ladybirds.
Nick adds: “Creating a bug-friendly garden doesn’t mean letting it go wild – small changes like planting the right flowers or leaving a log pile can make a big difference.
“Ladybirds are especially drawn to certain plants that either provide shelter or attract the pests they feed on. Herbs like dill and fennel, as well as flowers such as marigolds, nasturtiums and yarrow, are known to bring in aphids – which might sound bad, but actually helps draw in ladybirds looking for a food source. Interplanting these with your veg or flowers creates a natural pest control cycle that keeps your plants healthier in the long run.
“A manicured lawn might look neat, but it doesn’t offer much to insects. Leaving a section of your garden to grow wild – with native wildflowers, longer grass, and flowering weeds like dandelions and clover – creates a mini-ecosystem that supports all sorts of beneficial wildlife.
“A more diverse garden attracts a wider range of insects, including ladybirds, which are more likely to stick around when food and habitat are abundant.”