Ha ha The ladies are on the prowl! :)

Oh I love ladybugs too! I was so surprised the first time I saw a baby ladybug - they're sooo different than the adults.

Ladybugs are so whimsical and cheerful looking. They'll just climb on your finger and let you take them to a different plant (with more aphids).

:)
Carol

I released two large batches of ladybugs this year and now I am noticing the larvae everywhere! It has cut down on my aphid population significantly. I will do this every year.
Also, my praying mantis "pods" hatched and I released hundreds of baby mantis into my garden too. Boy, was that strange!
Susan

I love the little wrens, itty bitty tiny ones that fly up, grasp the cane and devour all the aphids in seconds. And then sing a happy song as they head to the next bud.

I think having a variety of plants and not a mono culture is really helping all the gardens in our little gardening neighborhood.

Ladybugs are doing their job in my garden too! Love them. But--one was on my arm and bit me the other day. Really hurt. No, I am not kidding. Must have good choppers to get all those aphids!

Hey Kathy.!! It must have been a love bite.

The aphids have arrived in my garden here and I am prepared-- the ladybugs were lovingly placed on the food sources yesterday and today. Go get em! ladybugs!!

I've never used lady bugs before, I would love to try this but not sure how it is done. How do you put them on your roses so they don't fly away? Any suggestions please?

They are available in larger nurseries and are sold in containers or netting. If you are not using them right away they can be refrigerated (the bugs go into a hibernation due to the cold) but NOT FROZEN.
Next, take them out of the fridge and keep them in a cool spot in your yard-- a covered patio, below a tree. Generally you can put them out and sprinkle them under the base of the roses in the evening when the sun is not so intense. More experienced people can open the container and with a small stick-- allow the ladybug to climb onto the stick and then transfer the insect to the food source directly. Yes, some will walk the opposite direction of the food but at least they will be on the plant. You can also release them on an overcast day too at the base of the plant that has the aphids.. Now one important thing-- there is a food source (some sort of cotton with some food they eat inside the container and the wood shavings) Its important to spritz the container or the netting with cool water every so many days-- even if they are in the fridge too. Do not soak them just a spritz of water -- they need the water also to survive. If they do fly away, it just means they are searching for a food source-- they like aphids, but they can fly elsewhere (like the aphids do too). I find usually the aphids are greenish on the roses but they can come in other colors too-- black or brown colors (sort of blending in with whatever plant they are on.)
My Dad has a mock orange that gets covered on the stems with the black variety. Ladybugs to the rescue on that plant too.

I get mine on Amazon and have had uniformly good experiences with them. They usually come with directions on how to release them, which is really simple. They're super fun to watch, and if you're lucky they'll lay eggs and you get another round of them later.

Funny note - this year's batch was super, super horny. There will be a LOT of babies this year. :) I have been cracking jokes about it for days.

I totally agree with everyone about the ladybugs. Last year, all of my poor roses were covered with aphids and I did not want to spray insecticide. So, I purchased 5,000 ladybugs from ebay and they went to war for me.

Now, one year later, I'm not seeing any aphids so I'm hoping the ladybugs are still around, even though I don't see them either.

And yes, I've seen quite a few ladybugs doing the deed right out in public.... they have no discretion..