Well, I have a Hackberry tree that got taken over by aphids this past fall. Rather than kill the tree we introduced a ladybug colony. Now we have quite a few ladybugs. They don't seem to bother anything though ant they're much more pleasant than aphids. Anyone know of any problems with ladybugs, or even do they carry any pathogens?
ladybird beetles shouldnt harm anything, its their larvae like enjoy feeding on the foliage of the plants.
theres a cool little insect that they call aphid eaters . .. . the most comom problem with lady bugs is that they sometimes decide to leave.
I used to order Lady Bugs by the gallon. The price has gone up nowadays. I had a houseplant with aphids. I put a net over it, placed lady bugs inside, and watched the girls go drain fluid from the aphids with a magnifying glass. When their job was done, they were released. Some of the girls laid eggs ! And the little larvae looked like an orange and black alligator..then those went into a cocoon and came out as lady bugs (no spots till later).....life is cool. :sunglasse
ladybug larvae are predators too and have a bigger appetite than their parents, they eat aphids and any thing else that gets in the way
