Ladybug, Ladybug

Beccijo brings us this Thursday's post. As spring turns to summer, keep an eye out for these tiny garden residents.

Ladybug! Ladybug!
Fly away home.
Your house is on fire.
And your children all gone.

All except one,
And that's little Ann,
For she crept under
The frying pan.
-Traditional Nursery Rhyme



We have ordered ladybugs to add to our garden. When gardening in an organic way, we want to work with nature not against her. There are lots of great plants and insects who will happily come work for you in your garden to keep away unwanted dinning guests. Ladybugs are beneficial because they feed on aphids and other soft bodied insects that feed on plants. They feeds on these pests as the adult ladybug and also as the larva. One ladybug can eat as many as 50 aphids a day.

We have also ordered a lovely little house for them, it will be a sweet addition to our garden. A Ladybug House encourages these beneficial insects to take up residence in your garden and provides a safe roosting place during chilly months.

History of the ladybug:
In Europe, during the Middle Ages, insects were destroying the crops, so the Catholic farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. Soon the Ladybugs came, ate the plant-destroying pests and saved the crops! The farmers began calling the ladybugs "The Beetles of Our Lady", and they eventually became known as "Lady Beetles"! The red wings represented the Virgin's cloak and the black spots represented her joys and sorrows. They didn't differentiate between males and females.


For more information check out these websites:

• Growquest's Ladybug Home Page


• The ladybug Lady


• Lady Bug House Instructions


• Lady Bug Themed Coloring Pages

Beccijo's Etsy shop, The Enchanted Cupboard, is well-stocked with mermaids, pirates, fairies and the occasional Big Bad Wolf. Each peg person and playset is hand painted with charming details to inspire hours of imaginative play.