Ladybugs are among those “good bugs” that gardeners love to keep close in the yard! They keep harmful pests at bay, cause no damage of their own to plants or property, and, let’s face it, they’re adorable.
When the cold weather hits, many homeowners find a large number of ladybugs taking up residence in attics, sheds, or other spaces adjacent to the outdoors. Ladybugs tend to gather in big groups, and prefer warm environments. When you’re faced with a ladybug infestation, they’re not so cute. But Jessica Ware, an insect expert and assistant professor of biology at Rutgers University-Newark, says having ladybugs indoors serves a very useful purpose, and humans should welcome their temporary houseguests.
“They’re actually great to have around,” Ware said in a recent interview at her university, “because they’re most often predatory and they eat the insects we consider to be pests — especially aphids, soft-bodied insects that feed on vegetation. If you have aphids on any of your houseplants, and you have ladybugs in your house, you’ll no longer have aphids and your plants will be fine. Do not kill them. Do not spray them — because if you do, then you’re destroying some of the natural predators that keep pests in check.”
If they’re already in your house, says Ware, you’ve probably got them ’til spring. While some ladybugs will die over the winter, many will go back outside when the weather warms up. Ware says you’ll feel like a true public servant after a winter of hosting these bugs – the surviving ladybugs will devour aphids in your garden, as well as gardens and farms in your neighborhood.
“Aphids are one of the most common pests in people’s flower gardens and they especially like to destroy ornamental plants like tulips and daffodils and the beautiful things you see in spring,” says Ware. “Aphids basically suck the juice out of the plants and kill them, and they can breed by the thousands in a matter of days. But not if ladybirds get them first.”
If you find a ladybug-free garden come spring, introduce ladybugs to your garden. You’ll be glad you did!