Anyone living here in Manitoba knows all about an annoying little insect called the mosquito, seemingly existing for no other reason than to make scratching an annual summer hobby. The ladybug however, is well known as the good insect, in some countries it’s even thought to be a sign of good fortune. So let’s try and take our focus off the bad insects and turn our attention to our good friend the ladybug, and another aphid eater called the lacewing.

There are various types of both of these insects in Canada, the most common being the Convergent Ladybug species and the green and brown species of lacewings. Ladybugs and lacewings are both sold commercially for insect control but can also be attracted to your crop or garden by growing certain types of plants nearby. To find out how to attract specific insects to your garden check out this website and get started on your insectary.

These beneficial insects feed on many soft bodied insects such as aphids, as well as mites, corn borers and Colorado potato beetles; aphids being their most common food source in this area. Most lacewings tend to prey on aphids as they mature and then begin to eat nectar and pollen as adults, still eating the occasional aphid for old time sake. In their 6 week life span they will eat approximately 600 other insects. Unlike lacewings, ladybugs prey on insects in their larvae stage and into adulthood, potentially eating over 5000 aphids in their 3-4 month life. They are also able to hibernate through the winter by massing together in sheltered areas.

There is a lot more information out there about these insects, as well as many more types of insects that are beneficial to us, but I hope you enjoyed these few facts about our 6-legged friends.

So next time you’re outside slapping mosquitoes and complaining about bugs, don’t forget about our good friends working hard out there in the fields. Now if only we could train them to eat mosquitoes too…