There's a ladybug following me everywhere since yesterday.
She roamed near me as I did a video call from my child's room yesterday morning.
Today she flew on my computer monitor and wandered around for a bit. Then I went to shower and she followed me to the bathroom, planting itself on the window. She's very cute.
Do you have any ladybug care tips? How can I help her with food and water?
(My mom says it's still too cold to bring her outside... my 5-year-old is smitten too) 🐞
I have some aphids she can eat.
Actually, such a bummer, we made it most of the winter without an outbreak and now we're overrun with them. I think they might have come in on a live parsley plant I planted last month.
@_elena I saw a ladybug outside today in the Netherlands. We have some relative warm days though, at the moment.
Not sure elsewhere, but in my culture, ladybugs are "good luck" symbols.
And supposedly they eat the bad bugs that kill plants, so if you have a plant somewhere, put it there. It'll help you.
@_elena It’s probably been wintering in a crack around a window frame or similar. If your room wasn’t heated before and now it is because you’re staying there, it’ll have woken up from its hibernation due to the sudden rise in temperature. Probably best to transfer it somewhere it can find a resting spot where it’s neither unnaturally warm nor too cold until other insects come out. Something like a garden shed.
@pmdj thank you for the explanation, this may be it! Indeed our rooms are typically unheated when we're in France and now they''re nice and warm. I'll try find an adequate home for her...
@_elena I suppose if someone in the neighbourhood has a greenhouse for growing vegetables, that would probably be a good spot too - I'd expect other insects to be active in there already. That is, assuming the owners don't use insecticides, anyway.
@_elena In some traditions (sorry, don't remember which ones, just heard that and remembered the fact) ladybugs are considered as a spirit of, or a sign from, our loved deceased. 😊
@_elena don't try to save anything and everything there are trillions of ladybugs they have hive mind hive soul they are immortal. Instead take this as sign from universe about good luck is coming.
@_elena Things I know:
A little spritz from a spray bottle provides an appropriate amount of water; or, if you can find a smooth stone with a slant to the top, that will help her find her right depth of water in a water dish. A bit of mud in another dish can help provide minerals & grit she may need. Aphids are what freshly-hatched juvenile ladybugs (the larvae, or maybe they're instars?) love to eat, so maybe invite your grown-up lady bug to inhabit any aphid-rich plants you have in the house.
*Thing I don't actually know:
What grown-up ladybugs eat
@Gorfram fantastic explanation, thank you!!!
My daughter yesterday found a rock that looks just like a potato (the color too!). Maybe I'll spray it with water and put it near the ladybug... also fetching some fresh basil for her.
Thank you thank you thank you!
@_elena
I have a potato rock, too! It looks so real I could easily try to eat it by mistake. 🥔 🤣
Does your potato have little dips or dimples? Those could be just right for ladybug water cups.
@_elena
Photographic proof!
I actually have two potato rocks/rock potatoes: a Yukon gold and a baby red.
@_elena On my experience they are very peeky, I never made it possible to grow them. I tried with larvae, insect homes, etc.
They say they love eating aphids and you can grow them under a spare roof tile that you can have in the ground.
But as said, I find it quite difficult, although it seem you already have some affinity! Sure you will be more lucky :)
@efialto you should see how slowly / carefully I'm walking now because I'm afraid to step on her... I'm always on the lookout for her position so I don't crush her 😅
@_elena Ladybugs are predators, and the favorite food of most species are Aphids. Do you have any house plants that might be infested with aphids or other small bugs? It might be hanging around because of that. It's rare for insects to need water, especially in a controlled indoors environment, unless it's really warm and dry.
@LeoRJorge thanks for the explanation! My parents don't have a single house plant... there's nothing for her to eat on, especially in my room, thus my question (we have a garden but nothing indoor).
Someone else suggest basil maybe?
@_elena If you're in a place with temperatures consistently positive, it probably just woke up from winter dormancy. It was maybe in some wall corner inside or around the window and entered the house. I guess if the house is not super sealed, it might go outside whenever it gets the opportunity to look for insects or eggs in the vegetation, or even find something inside the house...
@LeoRJorge yeah we started heating this room (it's upstairs from my parents' floor) during our visit starting last week. So she may appreciate the heat. Going to fetch some fresh basil and gonna spray water on a nice rock for her, hoping she appreciates it ❤️
mah le coccinelle in mancanza di parassiti delle piante mangiano acari e uova di insetti, per cui credo non abbia problemi a sopravvivere in una casa normale. Basta un tappeto su cui abbia dormito un gatto.
@la_mosca_2 @LeoRJorge putroppo ci manca il gatto 😆 grazie per la spiegazione comunque ❤️
If you have a basil plant in your kitchen and it has aphids, the ladybug will gladly dispatch them ... nom nom nom.
@albertcardona ah we have basil in my uncle's garden (one street over) and we often keep fresh basil in a glass with water. Hmmm maybe I'll go fetch a basil leaf for her?
@_elena Careful, it might be a microdrone sent to spy on you by commercial social network owners. You're clearly doing too good a job advocating for the Fediverse. 😆👍
