A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 lady bug's and squirrel's

Perhaps you could provide the squirrels with an alternate location. We have an old round patio table that we sacrificed, and just cover the table with corn & seeds. You would need to move your seed feeders to perhaps a metal pole our of jumping radius of the trees.

I hate that they're gnawing your seed feeders!

But they won't give up you know! Just be sure the can't get to your birds!!!!!!!!

Judith

Wow, 50%?!? Hear that gang? Need any ladybugs let Phil know and make sure you let me know so I can get my cut!!!!

Daydreaming about all that $ comin' in,
Barb

BUSY...BAGGING...BUGZ !

Awful little creature's !!!!! :p Laura

In lectured all this winter the Ladybug question has been the #1 one. I have put a webpage together on the "pest" lady bird beetle

"The Multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis. This species has become quite a nuisance in the United States even though it is a voracious predator. History: This Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle was intentionally imported from Russia, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere in the Orient and for releases in the United States as part of a Federal effort to naturally control insect pests in trees. With the first releases (1916 and 1960) the beetle did not establish. The in the 1970s and the early 1980s, tens of thousands of these beetles were intentionally released by the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in an effort to control insect pests that injure trees. All did not go as planned, as many home owners found out."
You can read the rest on my website http://www.bugladyconsulting.com/Multicolored%20Asian%20lady%20beetle.htm


Also I do not support buying ANY species of wild harvest ladybugs. Next time you go to buy your ladybugs ask where they came from and what species they are. They are usually convergent lady beetles, Hippodamia convergens and wild harvested

Lady bugs are harvested from the wild in Sierra Nevada
foothills where the migrate in spring as the Sacramento and San Joaquin
valleys warm up. There they rest and breed. Lady bugs gather in large
groups on the floor of pine forests and are easily scooped up with a bucket.
Collecting areas are a jealously guarded secret, although some companies
Have been known to advertise for Lady bug collectors in the local papers.

Once collected they are stored in coolers until orders are placed. Then once released into a nursery or landscape they usually migrate before feeding or laying eggs, providing little or no control for your target pest. Another concern is harvested ladybugs may be parasitized by a small wasp, Perilitus coccinellae. It develops as an internal parasite of lady beetles and kills them. Harvesting from the wild is also not environmentally sustainable.

If you want ladybugs the best thing to do is attract them in naturally with planting things like, dill, yarrow and other assorted flowering plants. If you want to do a release of a beneficial insects release lab reared lacewing. They will do an excellent job of feeding on plant pests such as aphids, mealybugs, scale and others.

Hope this helps!!

dang.. The Buglady beat me to it! was gonna give you this link .. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Other/goodpest/note107.html

Y'all got to plug up the holes...and sweep up and dump 'em back outside.

as fer the squirrels..they do make good gumbo..

I know not everybody likes the use of pesticides but in the occasion of the lady bug infestation we are having out in in WI, it is becoming quite a popular choice. Actually it is quite the ironic one as well since these bugs were imported to cut back on the use of insecticides on crops.

Quite a few of the lawn care companies offer a 'Perimeter Pest Control" or PIC service.
They are usually reasonably priced, and quite effective.
As far as plugging up all the holes going into a house. That is darn near impossible to do. Especially if you happen to live in a old farm house. Our walls, and ceilings were literally covered with the bugs, and it got to the point where they attacked us in the shower, biting where ever they landed.
About 2 weeks after the application we noticed a major decrease in the population. They would still get in the house but they would not live for more then a couple of hours.


As far as the bushy tailed tree rats go. That one is easy. Birds have a different olfactory systems then mammals. They do not taste "hot" Load your feeder with some cyanne (sp?) pepper. It works great, and does not bother the birds one bit.