Super Simple Ladybug House
Now you know how important those little ladybug beetles are to your backyard. They eat the pests that would eat your tomato plants or kill your pretty flowers. Plus, they’re very gentle and fun to observe. You can attract more to your yard by building a simple ladybug house to give them shelter and a great place to hide from predators. It’s easy! Give it a try!
Materials List
- Oatmeal (or other round) container with a lid
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Spray sealer
- Utility knife
- Wire
- Your Nature Journal (page 12, optional)
Instructions
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Find a spot outside that’s perfect for painting, then decorate the outside of your oatmeal container. Cover it completely with a base coat of paint and then add fun details. Remember that ladybugs don’t seem to have color preferences, but they are definitely attracted to the light. You may want to use light and bright paint colors to cover your oatmeal container.
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Let it dry and then seal the container with the spray to help protect it from the weather.
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Check with an adult before using the utility knife. Cut (or have help cutting) a small window slit on the top of your container. Then, cut a small door at the bottom of the container.
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Poke a hole on either side of the oatmeal container and string the wire through it to create a hanger.
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Hang your ladybug home from a tree near your garden or flower bed and watch for new ladybug families to come and set up their new home. If you want, you can use your nature journal to record how long it takes ladybugs to find your house and call it their own. Check on it each day, and draw or write about what you see.
More Fun:
You could kick-start your ladybug population by purchasing a bag of ladybugs. They’re readily available at garden centers and online. Check out the resource section (page 201) for places I’ve used.
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