Ladybug showed up from nowhere? Should I be concerned?

Hello,

I had a orange ladybug show up in the pot of one my two week old seedlings today, it's been in the pot for hours, and seems to be going to town eating something... but I don't see anything? I am using Fox Farms Happy Frog potting organic potting soil....

I have not seen a single ladybug in my house in the last 6 months, and they aren't common here in Michigan this time of year (too cold).

I know they do not eat plants, and can help with pests, but is there anything about ladybugs that I should be concerned about?

Does ladybugs showing up in your grow indicate any possible problems? Does it indicate the presence of other pests or fungus/mold that can harm my plants?

Thanks!

No worries man. Ladybugs are predators for a lot of the pests that can infect our gardens. I've had a few in my grow room too, and I just let them be. They eventually died because there was nothing for them to eat in there.

Thanks for replying!

I understand that the presence of ladybugs is a positive thing for a garden or grow room, but I was just concerned that it indicated the presence of potentially harmful pests in or near my plants.

Lady bugs are a definite +++++

They eat aphids and things like white flies. They do NOT eat plant matter, so having a few around is definitely a positive!!!!

yeah man, lady bugs are the shit for pot growers. They are a natural predator to things like spider mites, thrips, and a few other bugs that can cause problems for pot plants. I wouldn't mess with her at all. Leave her be and let her do her job. hahaha. Take it as a good omen!

If its orange its likely an asian lady beetle, not lady-bug. They tend to infest peoples houses in fall/winter. Normally they dont eat plant material. They like insects just like lady-bugs, but they will eat plant matter if there are no bugs. I have an infestation by them at this moment, and they have been munching on my plants, so now Im forced to kill the fuckers.

DaveCoulier said:

If its orange its likely an asian lady beetle, not lady-bug. They tend to infest peoples houses in fall/winter. Normally they dont eat plant material. They like insects just like lady-bugs, but they will eat plant matter if there are no bugs. I have an infestation by them at this moment, and they have been munching on my plants, so now Im forced to kill the fuckers.

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Dave's right, She's no lady.
I think Granhelm had them released back on Dec.3rd 2008. Dave I found that the little duct buster vaccume works better then my 10 lb wooden mallet.

i have had fox farm dirt come with thrips in it. My questions is can there also be bugs or molds in there? They dont heat up there soil so not to kill benifical stuff. So what kills the bad stuff?

Around the end of October, Lady Beetles begin to look for places to spend the cold winter. They begin to swarm onto light colored houses and buildings looking for cracks that they can get into to spend the winter months hibernating

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I think shes cold! Let her rest.

Let us pray!

~Boneman

That is more then likely a asian and not a lady @ all...I believe Dave to be correct ...They will turn on your plant if starved (no bugs)
So if you have a healthy plant with no bugs...guess what ...Hello can you say ASIAN SALAD???? Kill that fucker...there is one friend to the plant and that my friend... is YOU!!!!
pests are called pests for a reason ...and some pests will eat others but bottom line when you get them all together they are all pests...hope this helps...

valhalla88 said:

That is more then likely a asian and not a lady @ all...I believe Dave to be correct ...They will turn on your plant if starved (no bugs)
So if you have a healthy plant with no bugs...guess what ...Hello can you say ASIAN SALAD???? Kill that fucker...there is one friend to the plant and that my friend... is YOU!!!!
pests are called pests for a reason ...and some pests will eat others but bottom line when you get them all together they are all pests...hope this helps...

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Lady bugs and asian beetle are predatory insects, not pests, they eat other insects and DO NOT eat vegetation. If there is no food they will leave to find it, so please dont kill them.

smppro said:

Lady bugs and asian beetle are predatory insects, not pests, they eat other insects and DO NOT eat vegetation. If there is no food they will leave to find it, so please dont kill them.

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Yep, smppro has the right of it. Every year my house gets bombarded by them (cornfield right outside). I have these guys living in my mj plants. They have not eaten any of my leaves, (and there are no bugs) they just die. If your leaves are being eaten, there is somthing else in there besides the Asian beetles.

ern said:

i have had fox farm dirt come with thrips in it. My questions is can there also be bugs or molds in there? They dont heat up there soil so not to kill benifical stuff. So what kills the bad stuff?

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i thought this had happened to me as well. i did a little research and realized it wasnt thrips at all it was springtails and they are actually very beneficial to the soil. do some research and keep this in mind, you may be trying to kill good insects

oh yeah well the asian beetles around here we call counterfits ... they bite ...and stink...so whatever keep it and tell us what happens....please!

smppro said:

Lady bugs and asian beetle are predatory insects, not pests, they eat other insects and DO NOT eat vegetation. If there is no food they will leave to find it, so please dont kill them.

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My plants did not start getting munched on UNTIL they started entering my house. I have thoroughly searched my tent and all my plants for bugs, and the only bug is an occasional gnat.

Lady beetles are known to be a pest for fruit crops, so I doubt its out of the reach they'll eat plant material if left with no food.

And they wont leave your house during winter to find food. They get into the cracks of your house to hibernate, but once it gets 50 degrees they become active, and good luck at getting them to go back to hibernating once inside your house.

Some info about them being a pest on fruit crops in fall:

http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetleFruit.htm

Found another article that says some species of lady beetles do feed on plants, but the multi-colored ones dont.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/28/nyregion/ladybugs-find-a-house-can-also-be-a-home.html

I definitely have a few lady beetles that are single colored. I guess they're the ones that are causing the harm.