1. LADYBUGS ARE BEETLES
These tiny little aphid-eaters are technically not bugs at all, but rather a part of the beetle family. Outside of North America, they are widely called lady beetles or ladybird beetles. Furthermore, bugs tend to have long, needle-like mouths with a mostly liquid diet, while beetles can chew and eat away at plants and grass. So, because ladybugs can chew, they are classified as a part of the beetle family.
2. NOT ALL LADYBUGS LOOK THE SAME
As we already mentioned, there are about 5,000 different types of ladybugs globally, so you can bet they don’t all look the same. While the red and black combo is the most popular, ladybugs can also come in other colors. There are about 450 species of ladybugs on our continent, and they come in yellow, black, pink, orange, and brown. Additionally, some have stripes instead of dots.
3. THEIR NAME COMES FROM EUROPE
During the Middle Ages, European farmers were having a hard time preventing aphids and other insects from eating crops. So, they prayed to the Virgin Mary to help protect their fields. Soon, ladybugs appeared in their fields, eating all the aphids and saving the farmers’ crops. So, the farmers named them “beetle of Our Lady,” which eventually shortened to the ladybug. Ladybug then appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1674.
4. MARKINGS ARE A WARNING
Ladybug markings vary from species to species, but they all serve the same purpose: A warning to potential predators. The bright colors and stripes or dots are meant to intimidate frogs, birds, and other small mammals that may consume them. When threatened, ladybugs secrete an oily, foul-smelling liquid that further deters a predator from snatching them up. They’ll also play dead to avoid being eaten.
5. LADYBUGS EAT THEIR EGGS
A female ladybug prefers to lay her eggs on the underside of leaves, near the same clusters of aphid eggs. They can lay as many as 1,000 eggs at one time, but not all of them may hatch. In fact, during periods where food is in short supply, a ladybug will venture back to the eggs and consume the eggs and larvae. A ladybug will even prepare for a food shortage by laying infertile eggs for her young to eat once they hatch.
Most ladybugs voraciously consume plant-eating insects, such as aphids, and in doing so they help to protect crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of aphids and other plant-eating pests. When they hatch, the ladybug larvae immediately begin to feed.
For more information check out Epic Gardner’s video on Ladybugs, he has an awesome channel and a-lot of good information:
Want to start your own indoor gardening system?
First mix up a batch of organic rich soil by adding dried leaves and organic matter to your soil mix. Be sure to add drainage rocks to allow for oxygen and proper drainage so that mold does not grow in your soil. Remember the roots need soil water and oxygen. If your soil is too compact it will create a hypoxic growing environment and your plants will die.
Then you may want to add a light source, since we are growing indoors we don’t always have adequate access to the sun. Here is a link to the grow lamp I use:
BoostGro LED Grow Light Full Spectrum Linkable 5000K Daylight + 660nm Red Indoor Plant Lighting Fixture https://amzn.to/3XBxl6z
Its an awesome little grow light that is under 20$
Next plan out what seeds you want to grow, remember to grow what you eat. There is no need to grow 300 tomatoes, but you don’t like tomatoes.
After that, collect seeds. Here is a link to 30 different heirloom seeds you can grow for under 30$:
Survival Garden Seeds Home Garden Vegetable, Fruit & Herb Seed Bank Kit – 30 Pack https://amzn.to/3Vr0DCJ
If you are in need of heirloom or rare seeds check out Baker Creek at their website below:
https://www.rareseeds.com/
They are heirloom seeds which means they are non-gmo or hybrid and can be regrown. ie seedless watermelons (if there are no seeds, how can I grow it again?/ buy more seeds???)
Water, Fertilize and then watch your new babies grow.
Urban Gardening with Gray focuses on smart cost effective gardening that is sustainable and easy to maintain. Let’s grow together in our urban garden, Subscribe and join the #urbangardeningwithgray family!
Enjoy life, enjoy family, enjoy your garden!
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1 Comment
Cool!