Good ways to attract ladybirds/lacewings/hoverflies etc

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Loofah, Feb 22, 2009.

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    I tried making a bug box last year to attract 'pest eaters' but the dastardly squirrel (RIP...) destroyed it.

    This year I shall make another but what are the best ways of attracting ladybirds etc into the garden?
     
  2. NewbieGreen

    NewbieGreen Gardener

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    I'm going to be interested in this too!
     
  3. walnut

    walnut Gardener

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    Infest your plants with greenfly.:D
     
  4. benacre

    benacre Gardener

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    grow plenty of flowers. also have a patch on Nettles perhaps in a container. the cheapest way to attract these creatures is to collect dead and dry umbellifer stems which are hollow and tie them up into groups of ten and lay in hedges or shrubs. the insects will have somewhere to roost. a shallow pool filled with mud will assist hoverflies in laying eggs (They like stagnant water) so you will have an annual supply of Hoverflies. Do plant umbellifers as they are certainly a good food source. Lupins will attract blackfly and in turn hoverflies and allied species.
     
  5. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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  6. lollipop

    lollipop Gardener

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    I once had a huge overgrown santolina-it was far too big and woody, but chock-full of ladybirds as was the ivy. I cut them both back in an attempt to claim back the garden the first year we moved in-I deeply regret doing this, I should have learned to live with them the way they were because I haven`t seen too many since.
     
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