simply helps you encourage ladybirds into your garden
Do Ladybird Houses Work?
The most questions we get asked asked ladybird houses is ‘do ladybird houses work?’, ‘do I need a ladybird house to attract ladybirds?’ and ‘where should I place my ladybird house?’. To answer these questions we need to look at what ladybirds naturally do, what they are attracted to and then see if our gardens supply these - and what we can do to make them more attractive.
Although we think of ladybirds as aphid eaters, ladybirds also need a supply of pollen to feed on, so ideally you need your garden to include some of the flowers they prefer, which include lavenders, marigolds, nasturtiums and scented geraniums. You can also attract ladybirds by having herbs in your garden, ones such as dill, parsley and thyme.
So you have provided ladybirds with a good food source, you now need to provide them with somewhere to shelter and hibernate and this is when a ladybird house proves its’ worth! Ladybirds like to hibernate in hollow stems or other nooks and crannies. This is why ladybird houses usually include bamboo tubes or tunnels.
An easy mistake can make your ladybirds move away from your garden . . .
As a gardener encouraging wildlife into your garden you just need to be aware that they will be sensitive to manufactured insecticides and will mean that they will leave your garden if you choose to use them.
Simply all the ladybird houses we have found
Ladybird Insect Tower
Silhouette Ladybird House
Silhouette Ladybird House
Welcome ladybirds together with other beneficial bugs to your garden with this ladybird tower.
Made from responsibly sourced natural air dried timber, perfect for letting the little insects take shelter with a hollow central core. The ladybird tower is made in such a way that the hollow chamber can be filled with straw to provide insulation and protection for beneficial insects.
Its' ground pole means it can be placed on the lawn or sheltered in a flower bed in your garden.
Silhouette Ladybird House
Silhouette Ladybird House
Silhouette Ladybird House
Made with responsibly sourced wood, this sweet insect house is ideal for hanging on a tree or garden wall.
An attractive ladybird home designed to attract ladybirds and many other insects to take shelter and create their homes. It features a roof with ladybird silhouettes painted with non-toxic paint.
A keyhole slot on the back enables easy hanging of this ladybird house which should be fixed in a quiet sheltered spot
Ladybird house size:
15cm x 12cm x 20cm
Ladybird & Insect Lodge
Silhouette Ladybird House
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
The ladybird and insect lodge is designed to attract all kinds of beneficial insects to nest in your garden.
The sustainable nester is made from responsibly sourced timber with a lower chamber of cosy bamboo tubes for overwintering ladybirds, lace wings and invertebrates. The wooden front ledge features drilled holes for nesting solitary bees too.
Includes a clear perspex window which you can use to view the nesting insects.
Size: 16cm x 12cm x 26cm
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
This attractive Insect and Ladybird House will be a welcome haven for a wide range of beneficial insects.
The bottom section is ideal for hibernating ladybirds during the winter months.
Site in a sheltered part of your garden, preferably with morning sun.
Chosen by BBC Countryfile as one of the best ladybird houses in 2022.
Wooden Insect & Bee Hotel
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
Wooden Insect & Bee Hotel
This wooden insect house can accommodate all sorts of bugs including ladybirds, providing a cozy haven for your beneficial garden companions.
It will protect bugs from rain, snow, and extreme weather conditions.
Constructed using natural solid bark wood, ensuring durability and longevity - it has been built to withstand heavy downpours and extreme weather conditions.
Wooden Ladybird House
Duo-Insect & Ladybird House
Wooden Insect & Bee Hotel
This ladybird house is made using responsibly sourced pinewood with a sturdy roof to keep away the rain. There are slats at the front that provide enough space to let insects to go in and out of the house with ease.
There's even a charming silhouette on the front - complete with the Latin name for ladybirds for added style!
Size: approx. 17cm long x 12cm wide x 23cm high
Weight: 526g
DON'T FORGET THE bedding! HEDGEHOG houses need a base layer
Ladybird Food / Attractant
Beneficial insects like ladybirds which eat aphids, scale insects, mealy bugs and spider mites can be encouraged into a garden area or natural predator box using this food/attractant.
How to use:
Best used during the autumn to spring in conjunction with an insect/predator box in a sheltered location close to tree branches or general vegetation.
In a small dish mix a little food with a drop of water to form a paste. Smear the paste on the predator box feed area, holes or surfaces.
Food sachets, once opened, will last up to 4 months. if kept cool and dry.
Approx. 25g
What is the lifespan of a ladybird?
The average lifespan of a ladybird is one year - however research has found some ladybirds living for up to two years. For us this will sound like a short lifespan, but ladybirds pack a lot into their 12 months . . . here is how you can break the 12 months down into a busy ladybird life:
The ladybird starts its life as a tiny 1mm egg, usually found on the underside of a leaf (nettle leaves are a firm favourite for ladybirds) and surrounded by between four to forty siblings.
The ladybird hatches from its egg within about ten days as a fierce looking, spiky larvae and immediately gorging on any aphids it finds . . . unfortunately they can’t tell the difference between aphids, unhatched eggs or other larvae!
The voracious appetites of these larvae means they will eat up to 50 aphids (or any other soft-bodied insects including whitefly, mites and scale insects) a day.
After spending one to two weeks of feeding, during which the larvae will molt a number of times, it pupates to become an adult ladybird. Over winter the adult ladybirds hibernate - tending to hibernate in groups. Once they wake up the first thing they do is mate . . . and the lifecycle starts again.