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How to make a ladybird and lacewing lair

How to make a ladybird and lacewing lair

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Monday, 8 July 2019 at 8:44 am

Encourage aphid-eating ladybirds and lacewings to your garden, by creating a simple shelter.

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Ladybirds and lacewings are always welcome in a garden. As voracious predators of aphids at both adult and larval stage, they help to maintain a healthy balance. All insects like a warm, dry spot to retreat to in bad or cold weather, and this collection of twigs and sticks is the perfect resting place for them.

You Will Need

Old earthenware chimney pot or land drain
A few small logs
Bamboo canes
Secateurs

Total time: 15 minutes

Step 1

Assembling dried plant stems

Choose a selection of twigs and sticks of different thickness. Ensure they are dry as insects can succumb to fungal infections in winter if exposed to damp.

Step 2

Adding twigs to the box

Make a simple box using thick, untreated wood. There's no need to add a back or front to it. Insert the larger pieces first. Cut hollow bamboo stems to length and add them to your chimneypot, inserting them around the logs. Make it a tight fit so they don't fall out.

Step 3

Adding smaller twigs to the box

Add the thinner sticks afterwards. Pack the box quite tightly so the twigs and sticks don't fall out - there will still be plenty of nooks and crannies for insects to sneak into. Place the box in a sunny, sheltered site ideally off the ground. It should attract new residents within a few weeks.

Kate Bradbury says

A small patch of nettles is a great way to entice ladybirds into your garden. Nettles attract the nettle aphid, Microlophium carnosum, very early in the year. This brings ladybirds into your garden before other aphids attack your ornamental plants, meaning the predators are present before the pests – useful in preventing huge infestations.

Kate Bradbury

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