Hey Woofie, here is a little info on Lady Bugs for ya. And also, when you purchase ladybugs, the first thing they need when released is ...a drink of water. i went through three batches of purchased ladybugs and they all flew off. i was talking with a friend from the LSU Ag/Hort center and happened to mention that they flew away...first thing he asked was "Did you give them something to drink?" I thought he was nuts, but it seems that they have been deprived of all moisture during transit and as soon as you open the container, they go looking for a drink. he said to use the Mist setting on your hose sprayer and mist the aphid infested plant thoroughly with water, When you release the lady bugs onto the plant, it has everything they need....food and water. I misted my Asclepias well and turned the Lady bugs out onto the plant. I also misted a couple other plants around the Asclepias and the next morning i counted almost 3 dozen of them in the general area and saw a few scattered on other plants. Below is a link from a dealer with instructions....just remember your manners and offer your new guests a little libation
http://www.naturescontrol.com/...
http://animaldiversity.ummz.um...
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/crea...
