What ladybugs should be wary about

In the same way that live ladybugs consume pests that roam about freely in places where foods are grown like farms, fields ad orchards in which a variety of fruit are grown, there are creatures roaming around the world who seek just these insects for they make a yummy food dish for them! Many kinds of winged creatures and mammals, among others, make these insects their food and since there are so many varieites of them on the earth, these predatos have pleny of variety to choose from. Among the common creatures that feed on ladybugs are of course, birds of various kinds. Since there are many birds who eat only insects, these ones are easy to spot for their bright colors, and so they can be sighted from faraway places.

The birds wing down on them and since these insects have no eyes on their backs, they cannot find the time to escape the attacks. A variety of other creatures make these insects their food. They are dragonflies, who are constantly flying around in search of food; frogs who can shoot out their tongues and lap up these insects; spiders who are slow but steady predators of insects and wasps, among others.

Built-in Deterrent

But, it is also a fact that because of its prey's fancied coloring, the predator may stay off the live ladybugs . This happens because of its fellow insect the beetle which has a built-in mechanism in which its body gives off a certain bad tasting chemical that puts off its would-be attackers. Since the ladybugs resemble the beetle in some ways, mainly in their bright colors, which deters birds or others seeking prey, some creatures may give them a miss thinking that these insects will not make a tasty meal; in fact, they may be foul to eat, they may think. On the other side of the circle of life, a coccinellid lays extra eggs, some of which are not meant to hatch and are only laid to provide extra food to the larvae that they hatch. When food-scarcity happens at a certain time, then the number of extra eggs that are laid only to act as food for the larvae, goes up. This 'food back-up' is a phenomenon that can teach us lay people a lot about the lives of the creatures of the earth.

Ladybugs in USA

As fall sets in, the live ladybugs 'appear' in the United States of America . As the winter will soon come, these insects know that they have to look for places to 'hibernate,' and so seek out places to find their food. In the bitter cold, their chances of merely existing, let alone feeding in agricultural fields and orchards, are almost zero. Generally, they will 'live' during the winter in buildings and homes which get plenty of sunlight and which are pretty near to fields where they may find some food to eat. Due to this temporary migration, these insects may be found in or near human dwellings. This gives people, especially children, a chance to 'catch' them and make them their pets for a short period of time. Probaby due to climatic conditions, or for other reasons, in some countries there has been a substantial fall in the population of ladybugs. The exact reason for this is not clear, but broadly speaking, environmental conditions may have caused this.