Environmental Learning Center

"Ladybug, ladybug
fly away home
your house is on fire
and your children are gone"

Many people think of this nursery rhyme when ladybugs are mentioned, but few know that this chant began as a courtesy warning from thankful farmers to the tiny insects.

With over 4,000 species worldwide and over 350 species in North America ladybugs, or ladybirds, are prolific and colorful beetles. Some ladybugs have more spots than others, some have no spots at all, and the colors range from yellow to deep red to black. Red and black, orange and black, yellow and black; these colors warn birds to stay away since the animal might sting or taste bad.

The most common beneficial species in North America is the Convergent Lady Beetle. Ladybugs belong to the family Coccinellidae, meaning little sphere. Other names for this cute animal are; flower lady (China), good news (Iran), Mary’s beetle (Germany) and Crop Picker (Africa). No matter what name is given to the little spherical insect, everyone agrees upon the benefits it provides for us.

Both the larval form and adult eat plant feeding insects. Famous for their control of garden pests, ladybugs consume large numbers of whiteflies, mealy bugs, scales, mites and many other soft bodied insects. But the greatest percentage of their diet consists of aphids. During the larval stage ladybugs can eat up to 400 aphids. Adult ladybugs can eat up to 5,000 aphids during their 3-9 month lifespan.

Some companies sell ladybugs to help gardeners with their aphid problem. To encourage native ladybugs to visit your garden, try growing pollen and vector flowers, grains and weeds. Apart from planting attractive plants in the garden, you can also promote ladybug populations by cutting back on spraying insecticides.

Ladybugs add color and delight to our gardens and naturally control those nasty invaders. A popular thought is when a ladybug alights on you it brings good luck. We should all feel lucky when these colorful and beneficial insects choose to be near us.

And the origins of that nursery rhyme at the beginning? Well, it seems that farmers in antiquity were the first to notice the ladybug’s value at reducing pests and would chant this rhyme before burning their fields after harvest. It began as a word to warn their helpful friends to fly to safety and return again next year.