Topic: Ladybirds

[Barnowl]

Saw my first ladybirds of the year yesterday but no aphids for them to eat yet.

[star]

I had lots of aphid in Feb >:(. There were no ladybirds out then, so I squished them.

In the last couple of days Ive seen quite a few...........ALL harlequins >:(

[Georgie]

Yeah, the only ladybird I've seen so far (last week) was also a Harlequin - looks like we have no choice but to live with them now?   ???

G x

[manicscousers]

send it here, barnowl..we've loads of greenfly, no ladybirds  ;D

[ceres]

The first weekend in March we had a working party on our site and two of us drew the short straw of rendering the walls inside our brick built composting toilet, built last summer.  As we squished the render between the bricks and the window frame, hundreds of ladybirds streamed out, all Harlequins.  I guess they had overwintered in the cracks. 

[Jeannine]

I saw one today, I thought it odd  because it was upstairs on a lace curtain and no windows open. I let it out

[Barnowl]

Our ladybirds were all natives - fingers crossed it stays that way, but I did crunch quite a few harlequins last year so am not hopeful.

Know the enemy:

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recognition_and_distinction.htm

and this is is the scary bit...

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/spread.htm#

[star]

I havent seen one native yet :'( :'( :'(

[Joe11]

Are Harlequins a danger to our native species???

[Georgie]

Unfortunately yes, Joe.

G x

[Joe11]

 :o :o Luckily i have never seen one down here, and hope its stays that way.

[posie]

Yay! I found 4 or 5, 7 spot ladybirds on the lottie the other day, just checked and definitely the native species which is good.   ;D ;D

[redimp]

I had the dubious honour of reporting the first one in Lincoln to the relevant authorities - it was not the first seen but the first reported. That was 2006.  In 2007, I saw a lot more.

[springbok]

Are Harlequins a danger to our native species???

the cards are still out on this one, because the harlequins are eating aphids too, there is no scientific evidence that they harm the English species. 

The media (again) threw it all out of context, according to researchers currently being done, there are still no answers as yet!!.

Even on Gardeners World last week, Monty stated that the Harlequin is just as good in the garden and that there is no evidence to support them destroying the English ones

[redimp]

Evidence is based on the Harlequin's invasion of the US - it started in the south and has moved North - native North American Ladybugs :-X have been decimated and it is now the most common ladybird in the areas it first moved into.

[kt.]

Never seen or heard of them until this thread...... ???