Quick survey: Have you seen any ladybirds this year?? I haven't.

[Chaotica]

Yet there are greenfly everywhere and we should have a plague of them by now, like there was in 1976... (I am that old ).

[sweetnitanitro]

I've not seen any. Bloody greenfly everywhere though, so many that a lot of my plants are suffering would somebody like to post some ladybirds to me?

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

I think you can buy ladybirds.

Seriously, as an organic pest control.

They come in a little cardboard tube like smarties...



And wrote this before i saw your post nitanitro. Agree free ones sound better!

[Chaotica]

LTOS - I might look into buying some in then. LOL at them looking like smarties, though - my DCs will probably eat them

I remember my mum getting us to collect them in the 70s (in summers when there wasn't a plague), but they never actually seemed to stay in the garden once we brought them (flew home, as far as we could tell).

[stripeypineapple]

Just one big fat today.

It has obviously been gorging on the abundance of greenflies.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

I have a single ladybird cocoon in my garden, and have seen only 1 adult ladybird.

[Chaotica]

I'm beginning to worry about the very large ladybirds which are being sighted: maybe soon there will only be 100 left, but they'll be the size of bears

[Meglet]

i saw one on my runner beans, I assume it was snacking on the bugs.

they usually live on my xmas trees, I will look in the morning.

[kitkatqueen]

We saw quite a few ladybirds much earlier in the year - but now nothing, Haven't seen any young ones either, loads of greenfly tho!

[theDreadPirateRoberts]

Far too much greenfly - and blackfly - her in Norfolk. Was still flicking the weirdy yellow ladybirds off the windowsill a couple of months ago, but now haven't seen anything till today, when flicked a teeny but still weirdy yellow/black irregular spotted one off the washing.

Off to coast at weekend, where they had a swarm a few years ago, so will take a smartie tube in case

[Polgara2]

One very teeny yellow/black ladybird and way too many greenfly.

[Horton]

The entire ladybird population of the British Isles appears to be living on my runner bean plants. Sadly (but not entirely unconnectedly), the entire blackfly population of the British Isles is having a party on them too.

[thumbwitch]

I've seen a couple but none in the last couple of weeks

[neversaydie]

No ladybirds, but far fewer aphids than last year as well. However, we now have small, insect-eating birds in our garden, so I guess it has evened out to some degree. (I have been actively encouraging the birds).

[ilove]

Not seen any here

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Chaotica - apparently Tagetes Golden gems have a smell that repels aphids, which may explain that the plants near ours have none but the plants further away are covered in them

[kitkatqueen]

godzilla, I am sure you are right, My greenhouse is currently the only greenfly free zone and every tomato and cucumber in there has a french marigold friend... have just been thinking about it and I think the tagetes are even more pungent so I may sow a few as back up

[kitkatqueen]

dreadpirate - i'm in Norfolk too( in the biggest village ) and I still haven't seen any.

[neversaydie]

Having now been out in the garden while actually paying attention, I have now found some aphids - on the strawberry plants which are netted to keep the birds off! Having picked the ripe strawberries, I have left the net up to let the birds in to do some aphid harvesting. (I am in central belt Scotland btw)

[FuriousGeorge]

Thousands of ladybirds here in Leicestershire.My polytunnel is full of them and their larvae.We also have the greenfly plague to though,so they aren't eating enouvgh of the buggers for my liking.

[paisleyleaf]

I've seen a few.
And so far this year haven't seen any of those horrible harlequin ones that I saw loads of last year.

[pigsinmud]

I've seen loads here in Surrey, but also loads of greenfly.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Have now seen lots of two-spot ladybirds covering a buddleia near my GP surgery...i knew car parks were good for something

[foofi]

We haven't got ladybirds atm but usually have swarms of them on the back of our house - I'd be delighted if they'd miraculously vanished, but I suspect they'll be back.

Loads of greenfly here too - haven't had that before.