Lady Bugs

creister · March 2, 2006

I know Lady Bugs are actually beneficial, but didn't know where else to ask my question.

My garden is covered in a winter cover crop, which has grown all winter due to the mild winter weather. Right now it is full of hundreds of lady bugs and several are still breeding. My question is, are they there because the plants offer good shelter, there is plenty of moisture?, or is there a major supply of some pest type insect that they have found? My worry is that when I cut the cover crop and plant garden, the pests if any, will still be there, while the lady bugs are gone. I don't know much about lady bugs and their life cycle etc.

Goddessemer6 · March 20, 2006

They're probably feasting on insects that are living in your cover crop. When you cut the cover crop you'll expose the insects to predators so hopefully they'll get eaten up by birds and what not!

kimpossible · March 28, 2006

Are you sure they are ladybugs, and not mexican bean beatles?

creister · March 29, 2006

Pretty sure, not much of an entomologist though.

kimpossible · March 30, 2006

I jut know there is alot of confusion around here about ladybugs vs. mexican bean beetles - esp. in the early srping & late fall when they are moving out of & into hibernation. We get the bean beetles by the hundreds (even find their way into the windows of the house). The bean beetles are totally destructtive to the garden & plants & have no natural predators here because they were introduced to control the aphid populations esp. in soybean fields, & came from Mexico. They are horrible smelling when crushed - even birds won't eat them! The confusion lies with their colouring & shape - similar to ladybugs, but where the ladybug is more of a pinky-red, oval, smaller and has 12 spots, the mexican bean beetles are a little larger, more round, more orange, and their number of spots vary - from one or two to many.

The bottom line is, you want the ladybugs; you want to kill the Mexican Bean Beetles! :wink:

MsCowpea · March 30, 2006

Kimpossible, you have that turned around abit I think--
Mexican bean beetle has 16 spots, lady bugs can vary with the number of spots.

http://entweb.clemson.edu/cuentres/c...s/veg/ce27.htm

Note varying spots:

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/lady/

creister · March 30, 2006

After viewing the pictures on Farkee's link, I definately have lady bugs. Glad they are there. I had many last year as well. I think I will plant some of the flowers I did last year again.

kimpossible · March 30, 2006

Thanks for the pictures, and the correction, Mrs. Cowpea. It was 5:30 am, & I was in a rush to get out the door for work!

March 2, 2006	#1
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Lady Bugs I know Lady Bugs are actually beneficial, but didn't know where else to ask my question. My garden is covered in a winter cover crop, which has grown all winter due to the mild winter weather. Right now it is full of hundreds of lady bugs and several are still breeding. My question is, are they there because the plants offer good shelter, there is plenty of moisture?, or is there a major supply of some pest type insect that they have found? My worry is that when I cut the cover crop and plant garden, the pests if any, will still be there, while the lady bugs are gone. I don't know much about lady bugs and their life cycle etc.

March 20, 2006	#2
Goddessemer6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NV zone9a Posts: 134	They're probably feasting on insects that are living in your cover crop. When you cut the cover crop you'll expose the insects to predators so hopefully they'll get eaten up by birds and what not! __________________ ~Rose The beauty of being human is the ability to choose compassion over cruelty!

March 28, 2006	#3
kimpossible Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Z5b SW Ont Canada Posts: 767	Are you sure they are ladybugs, and not mexican bean beatles? __________________ *So Many Tomatoes ... So Little Time*

March 30, 2006	#5
kimpossible Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Z5b SW Ont Canada Posts: 767	I jut know there is alot of confusion around here about ladybugs vs. mexican bean beetles - esp. in the early srping & late fall when they are moving out of & into hibernation. We get the bean beetles by the hundreds (even find their way into the windows of the house). The bean beetles are totally destructtive to the garden & plants & have no natural predators here because they were introduced to control the aphid populations esp. in soybean fields, & came from Mexico. They are horrible smelling when crushed - even birds won't eat them! The confusion lies with their colouring & shape - similar to ladybugs, but where the ladybug is more of a pinky-red, oval, smaller and has 12 spots, the mexican bean beetles are a little larger, more round, more orange, and their number of spots vary - from one or two to many. The bottom line is, you want the ladybugs; you want to kill the Mexican Bean Beetles! :wink: __________________ *So Many Tomatoes ... So Little Time*

March 30, 2006	#6
MsCowpea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S. FLorida / Zone 10 Posts: 369	Kimpossible, you have that turned around abit I think-- Mexican bean beetle has 16 spots, lady bugs can vary with the number of spots. http://entweb.clemson.edu/cuentres/c...s/veg/ce27.htm Note varying spots: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegallery/lady/ __________________ "When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work." Carl Huffaker

March 29, 2006	#4
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Pretty sure, not much of an entomologist though.