Buzz
Did you know that ladybugs can make wonderful pets? They are cute, gentle, easy to catch, and don't require much space. These lovely creatures are happiest when they have the freedom to explore, but you can easily create a comfortable environment for them right at home. All you need is a large, closed container with branches and stones that mimic their natural habitat, along with food and water to meet their basic needs. As autumn approaches, you should release the ladybugs into nature so they can hibernate, mate, and reproduce.
Steps
Provide Housing and Food for the Ladybugs
Choose a sealed container to create a home for the ladybugs. Terrariums and insect boxes are designed for this purpose, but you can also use a plastic food storage container or even the box you originally used to catch the ladybugs. Since ladybugs enjoy flying and exploring, the larger the space you provide, the better. A ladybug enclosure with at least 1 square meter of space is ideal.
- A soft brush might be useful to gently encourage your ladybug out of the temporary container and into its new home.
- Ensure that the ladybug's enclosure has holes large enough to allow air circulation but small enough to prevent the ladybug from escaping.
Place branches, stones, or seashells in the box to provide the ladybug with a hiding place. Spread materials you collect from around the ladybug's natural habitat, such as grass, leaves, branches, and small rocks, at the bottom of the box. Feel free to arrange these items however you like. This way, your ladybug will have a private space to hide when it wants.
- If suitable natural materials are hard to find, you can use some folded cardboard pieces instead.
- The items at the bottom of the box will create obstacles in the ladybug's play area, providing it with additional opportunities for exercise.
Feed the ladybug a small amount of dried grapes, lettuce, or honey. Soak 2-3 dried grapes in water for a few minutes to soften them before adding them to the box. You can also tear half a lettuce leaf into small pieces for the ladybug to nibble on or mix a drop of honey the size of a button with 2-3 drops of water in a bottle cap for it to consume.
- Feed the ladybug once or twice a day, but don't overfeed.
- Remember, ladybugs eat much more compared to their size. If you have many ladybugs, make sure to provide enough food so all of them get full.
- Aphids are the ladybug's primary food in the wild. If you plan to keep the ladybug for more than 1-2 weeks, you should catch or buy aphids to keep it happy. You can find aphid sources on plants where you've already found ladybugs.
Place a damp paper towel or sponge in the box to provide water for the ladybug. Soak the towel or sponge in water and squeeze out the excess. Ladybugs don’t need a lot of water, so this will be enough to keep them hydrated for several days.
- Check the water source every few days and re-soak it if it feels dry to the touch.
- Be careful not to let water accumulate in the box, as even a small puddle could cause the tiny ladybugs to drown.
Alternative method: Fill a spray bottle with clean water and spray a fine mist on the walls of the ladybug’s box every day. This mist is sufficient to provide water for your ladybugs.
Release the ladybug after a few days of keeping it, allowing it to live freely in nature. While ladybugs can adapt to indoor environments, their true home is the outdoors. Some ladybugs struggle to adjust to captivity – they often hide, become fearful, passive, or stressed. You might not want to do this, but it's best to return your ladybug to its preferred environment after spending some time together.
- You can keep the ladybug a bit longer if you'd like, but remember to provide enough water, food, and space for the ladybug to play and hide.
- Try to release the ladybug at the end of summer when it’s still warm outside. Otherwise, your ladybug may struggle to find food and shelter.
Catch ladybugs
Look for ladybugs in areas with lush green vegetation. Ladybugs are often found on the leaves of plants, grasses, and other types of vegetation. They especially prefer humid and warm environments like fields, grassy meadows, and agricultural areas such as orchards and cultivated land. Be sure to ask for permission before entering someone else's property to catch ladybugs.
- The best time to search for ladybugs is late spring or early summer, when plants begin to bloom.
- As the weather gets colder, ladybugs often seek warmth under rocks, inside tree hollows, or around gaps leading into homes or other structures.
Gently lift the ladybug in your palm. Usually, catching a ladybug simply involves reaching out and picking it up from where it's hiding. Shake the ladybug lightly in your hand and curl your fingers to prevent it from escaping.
- If you're worried about hurting the ladybug, you can place your hand next to it and wait for it to crawl onto your palm.
- Ladybugs are delicate and fragile, so be careful not to squeeze or pinch them too tightly.
Use a net to catch multiple ladybugs at once. Take a small butterfly net and slowly sweep it across the edges of tall grasses or the leaves of flowering plants, allowing the ladybugs to fall into it. If this doesn't work, hold the net under bushes with lots of leaves, gently shaking or tapping the branches to make the ladybugs drop down.
- If you don't have a net, another option is to lay an open umbrella or tarp below the plants to catch the ladybugs as they fall when you shake or tap the branches.
Create a simple feeding trough to attract ladybugs. Hang a piece of bamboo, thick cardboard tube, or PVC pipe somewhere outdoors and fill it with a handful of moist raisins. The raisins will attract ladybugs, and the tube will become a place for them to shelter, play, mate, and relax.
- Any cylindrical object can serve as a ladybug feeding trough, such as glass jars or aluminum can shells. If you want the trough to withstand the rain and sun, opt for more durable materials like bamboo, PVC, or metal.
Tip: A good feeding trough can serve as an ideal home for your beloved ladybugs, providing both food and shelter where they can come and go as they please.
Attract ladybugs at night with a homemade lightbox. Lean a piece of plywood or cardboard, a folding chair, or a similar flat object against an outside wall and drape a white cloth over it. Turn on a small spotlight or ultraviolet light in front of the cloth and leave it undisturbed for a few hours after nightfall. As the ladybugs begin to gather on the cloth, simply sweep them into a container.
- You can purchase a cheap handheld spotlight or UV light from hardware stores.
- The ultraviolet light will attract curious ladybugs, just like moths and other insects.
Trap the ladybugs in a box or jar while you prepare their new home. After catching one or more ladybugs, transfer them to a small, ventilated box while you set up a more permanent home for them. Don’t forget to punch holes in the lid of the box so your ladybug can breathe.
- A food-grade cardboard box with a removable lid works great as a temporary home for the ladybug.
- Don’t leave the ladybugs in the box for more than a few hours. If the box gets too hot or lacks oxygen, your ladybug could die.
Advice
- Look for aphids on the underside of leaves and branches of flowering plants. Aphids are tiny, translucent insects, usually light green in color, although they can also be white, yellow, red, brown, or black.
Warning
- Glass containers are not ideal for keeping ladybugs. Glass retains heat and may harm your pet ladybug if the temperature inside becomes too high.
- A ladybug's bite can cause mild irritation and itching. For safety, it’s best to use a stick, brush, or similar tool to catch and move them.
- Always wash your hands after handling a ladybug. When frightened or threatened, they secrete a foul-smelling liquid, and in some cases, they may carry harmful pathogens.
What You Need
Providing a home and food for the ladybug
- A large, enclosed container
- Grass, leaves, twigs, or torn paper
- Stones, twigs, seashells, and other natural materials
- Raisins, lettuce, or honey
- Paper towels or a sponge
- A small terrarium or insect enclosure (optional)
- A soft brush (optional)
- Cardboard (optional)
- A spray bottle (optional)
- Mealybugs (optional – for ladybug food)
Catching Ladybugs
- A breathable container or jar
- A butterfly net (optional)
- An umbrella or plastic sheet (optional)
- Bamboo tube, PVC pipe, or cardboard tube (optional – for creating a feeding trough for the ladybugs)
- Wooden board, white fabric, and a spotlight or UV light (optional – to make a light trap)
