Creating a Healthy Habitat for Ladybugs

Attracting beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, praying mantis, and green lace wings, into the garden is easy. Like humans, all they need is food, water, and shelter.
 
1. Create a home for your ladybugs. There are many beautiful examples online to spark your creativity. You can stack bark, roll cardboard, or use an old cereal box stuffed with pieces of bark. Sprinkle raisins throughout the house.
2. Place a shallow dish on the ground by your ladybug house. Fill the dish with small stones and water.
3. Feed the ladybugs with a mix of 50% nutritional yeast and 50% sugar. You can distribute the food in two ways. One solution is to add water to the mixture and spread the paste onto sticks. Then push these feeding stick into the ground around your plants. You can also dilute the mixture with warm water and spray the plants directly.
4. Ladybugs can also be fed with a second recipe. Mix ½ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons of honey, 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and 2/3 cup of warm water. After stirring, store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to one week. Next, mix 2 tablespoons of the mixture to one quart of warm water. Spray the plants directly.
5. Grow plants to attract ladybugs. Cosmos, marigolds, yarrow, and herbs (cilantro, dill, angelica, parsley, & fennel) create attractive habitats for ladybugs and butterflies.

6. Finally, make sure not to use any products that will kill your ladybugs and other beneficial insects. Products such as systemic fertilizers, toxic pesticides, and weed and feed products will kill all the beneficial insects that you are trying to attract to your garden.