Since arriving in Whalley Range, I’ve noticed that our upstairs rooms are popular with hibernating ladybirds. Ecologist Big Sister was most perplexed to find a large number residing above the window in the bedroom allocated to my nephews to sleep in, at our family Christmas get-together a couple of years ago..
Following a quick google search, this perplexation was replaced by delight on discovering that the collective noun for ladybirds is apparently a ‘loveliness’. I’m yet to find a reliable source to verify this.
Why are ladybirds so lovely?
Ladybirds are important beneficial insects in our gardens; they are natural predators of pests such as aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, plant mites and glasshouse mealybugs. These pests are sap-suckers with piercing mouth parts; they feed on plants, stunting their growth and making them susceptible to viruses and other infections. Ladybirds are therefore an important form of biological pest control.
Are all ladybirds beneficial?
Ladybirds come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Large, harlequin ladybirds were originally imported by European farmers to prey on pests. But now, the orange and black Harlequin ladybirds, native to eastern Asia, have become invasive species in the UK, preying on smaller, beneficial native species. Here’s a link to a few photos of different species, collated by the BBC News Magazine.
There’s a lesson to be learnt here, about not upsetting the natural balance of the ecosystem. The best way to attract ladybirds in to your garden is to make it naturally desirable to them, including provision of somewhere for them to hibernate.
Where should ladybirds hibernate?
Obviously, a house is not a ladybird’s natural habitat; although they like to seek out a bit of warmth and shelter over the winter, they need humidity so are likely to die of desiccation in heated homes.
An undisturbed part of your log-pile or a homemade bug hotel makes a great place for ladybirds to over-winter. Range Borders facebook followers will already know how proud I am of the bug hotel we made during our class at Cheadle College, a couple of weeks ago.
It’s not necessary to make your bug-house to be on the equivalent scale of the Beetham Tower; an open-sided bird-box size bug-house would do the job just as well and might even make a good Christmas gift idea for someone!
