You can find large plastic food storage containers at a thrift store or dollar store. Using an icepick or a slender screwdriver, poke 6 – 10 breathing holes in the lid. Make the holes big enough to let air in, but too small for the ladybugs to escape. This step can be very dangerous. Ask an adult to help with this one.
You don’t need too many ladybirds – three to six should be plenty. It is best to look for ladybirds in a bright, fruit-and-vegetable-filled garden. If it has plants and flowers, it’s more than likely you’ll find some. Ladybugs are more common in middle and late spring as well as early summer. If you can’t find any ladybirds, you can order them online from a gardening supply store.
Never feed ladybirds citrus fruits like oranges or lemons, or any type of acidic fruit. Ladybirds can be kept for several days, but if you try to keep them permanently they will die of malnutrition. You should release them back into your garden within the week.
If you have a ladybird habitat in your garden, release your ladybugs near it.
Stack the tubes lengthwise from front to back, so that the holes face forward. Pack them snugly, but don’t crush them – they need to remain hollow. Fill any gaps around large tubes with smaller tubes. Glue the tubes in place as you lay them down, or secure them with string or wire.
Hang the box close to plants that ladybugs like (such as rosebushes), so the little beetles will be attracted to their hotel. If you like, you can add a few moist raisins in some of the holes to attract more ladybugs. Other bugs may move in to your ladybird hotel, and that’s fine. Some gardeners create elaborate “bug hotels” to attract all sorts of different bugs to their garden.
Be careful not to split the bamboo when you cut it. Use sandpaper to smooth any rough edges.
Be sure the holes are large enough to feed the chain or twine through.
Replenish your feeder with raisins from time to time, to keep your ladybirds around when they aren’t eating aphids.
Flowers that attract ladybirds include: geraniums (scented), coreopsis, and cosmos. Herbs that attract ladybugs include: angelica, cilantro, caraway, fennel, and dill.
