Don't mind the ladybugs in the fridge

We're having a houseguest over the weekend. We pretty much never have houseguests. In fact, this might be the fourth time in 11 years that someone has slept at our house. And this time it's someone we don't know, staying at our house for an event related to Mr. Much More Patient's job.

You know how you clean your house more when someone is coming over? And even more when it's not a very close friend or family member who will understand when the place looks like it has been recently ransacked by a gang of thugs? Well, suffice to say, I'm trying to get some things cleaned up.

Which is why I will either have to release the rest of my aphid-eating machines currently residing in my refrigerator or perhaps cover the very large orange sticker that says "Live Ladybugs" before our guest arrives. Can you imagine staying at someone's house who you don't know and opening up the fridge and finding a box of ladybugs? What a great first impression.

The ladybugs are fascinating to me. I got them because I found aphids on my climbing rose ('Cancan') on the front of the house again. Last year the aphids became a real problem and I don't want them getting out of control again. I use an insecticidal soap on them, but that is pretty gross and seems like it requires a lot applications. Spraying them off with a hose never seems to work because they really get in the crevices of the new growth. Ladybugs love aphids, so I thought why not let someone else do the work.

This box has been in the fridge for a couple weeks.

I ordered 1,500 ladybugs from Hirt's through Amazon and they showed up a few days later in the mail (they aren't available through Amazon Prime unfortunately). When I saw how many were in the mesh bag and read that you can keep them in the fridge for up to five months, I thought I would release them slowly over time.

These little guys are amazing. They all seem dead when you pull them out of the fridge, but within a couple minutes they warm up and start wiggling. In five minutes they are clamoring to get out of the bag and it's actually hard to stop them from coming.

They come in this little mesh bag.

I have found them to be quite effective as a temporary measure. I release a bunch who seem to hang around for a day or so (I've been releasing them in the evening according to the directions) and 90% of the aphids appear to be gone. But days later the aphids are back and the ladybugs are not. 

The directions said that you can "encourage" them to stick around longer by spraying them with a 50-50 mix of soda and water which sticks their wings down and keeps them from flying away. This sounds little mean, but then again I hired these guys to do a job and if they won't stick around and do it willingly, well I might just have to stick their wings down. Don't worry, it's only temporary and it doesn't hurt them (well that's what the directions say; I doubt anyone asked them).

Look at those little guys do their job. And do you see all those disgusting aphids? Eat, ladybugs, eat!

I've ordered another 4,500 more ladybugs. I suspect I'm going to have to employ multiple methods to deal with this growing aphid issue (I've since found them on one of my Oso Easy roses and my climbing William Baffin in the circle garden), but I think the ladybugs definitely rank up there as the easiest and most fun method.