8 32 pm pdt
Rachel's Field Guide to Ladybug Hunting:
I spent the latter part of today collecting ladybugs,
and have decided to list some simple instructions for those who might find
themselves doing said activity in the near future. If you're not sure why
one would hunt ladybugs, here is a brief explanation: ladybugs feast on
aphids, which are a common plant infestation. Aphid colonies are made
worst by the fact that they attract ants, which eat the sweet substance
aphids produce. Adding ladybugs to aphid infested gardens should quickly
take care of the problem.
Location: Ladybugs like tall grass, preferably a
lush area that does not get mowed. They will only be somewhere where there
are some aphids to eat, but if you find a lot of aphids, you can safely
guess that there are no ladybugs around.
Mindset: You will probably have to remind
yourself several times that you are searching for ladybugs. After a while
you will reach a peaceful state where the vibrant red dots stand out
against the sea of green.
Most important hint: Ladybugs' main defense
mechanism is to fall off wherever they are. You will probably only catch
them when they have crawled up to the tips of blades of grass. If you
move the grass gently, the ladybugs will not be able to differentiate from
the wind, but if you shake it too much, or touch the ladybug any way, the
ladybug will promptly fall to the ground. If the grass is short, you can
search for the insect one the dirt, but if the grass is tall, you should
just give up. So the key is to cup your hand beneath the insect before
you try to extract it. When the ladybug tries to fall to the ground, it
will instead fall easily into your palm.
Clean-up: Searching for ladybugs in the grass
will be quite difficult unless you get down and close to the creatures.
You will probably end up squatting, sitting, and/or wading in the grass.
Various other insects will be happy to crawl on you. When you are done
ladybug catching, be sure to shake out your clothes and hair thoroughly
to remove any new residents.
Storage: Ladybugs can be kept in a jar or
ziplock bag while being transported to the garden, but be sure to add a
leaf to the container, and never leave them in there over night. I elect
not to capture mating ladybugs (which ruled out a quarter of today's
finds; apparently ldybug love is in the air in April). When I was little,
I though ladybugs were so nice because they were always giving piggy-back
rides to each other.
