Hi, I was just wondering if anybody knows how to keep a pet ladybug. I have no clue as to what they eat! I also want to train it, but yet again, no clue. Maybe this should be moved to "what's on your mind?" but I don't know. I also want to be able to make it a cute house. Can someone help me?
Ladybugs
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temari_sensei_girl
Well-known member
First of all! Ladybugs are wild bugs. they aren't ment to be held in captivity. What they eat you may never be able to get ahold of. Ladybugs eat aphids. Be careful because when they get hungry they'll bite anything. (I got bit by one once! it hurts!) Where did you get the ladybug. i'm really good at animal and bug things but this is interesting. I've never herd of someone trying to keep a ladybug as a pet. I know that ladybug larvae eat bug eggs. that's pretty much all i can tell you, because LADYBUGS AREN'T PETS!
I'm not saying this because I hate ladybugs (or any bug, I love bugs) it's just that ladybugs are ment to be kept in the wild. they can find food and things like that on thier own there. If you keep themin a cage they will die dry up and crunch like a locust shell.
I'm not saying this because I hate ladybugs (or any bug, I love bugs) it's just that ladybugs are ment to be kept in the wild. they can find food and things like that on thier own there. If you keep themin a cage they will die dry up and crunch like a locust shell.
Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
You've come to the right person x3 I'm the bugkeeping expert. Ladybugs are pretty easy to keep. ^^ In the wild, they eat aphids (small insects that live on plants) but I've discovered they will eat raisons in captivity. Soak the raison in water for about 5 minutes. Replace raisins as needed. Also, remember the cage should be cleaned about once a week. Ladybug cages can be bought, but you can easily make one a cage yourself. Get the largest comtainer you can find in your house, but make sure it has a lid. You can also go to nearby toy stores to get a bug cage. The cage should be filled with a thin layer of dirt or soil so the ladybug has something comfortable to move around on. Put at least one stick or branch in the cage - ladybugs love climbing. You might also want to make a small bed of leaves for them to comfortably rest and sleep on. Also get a small spray bottle and spray the cage every day. This will provide water droplets for the bug to drink. I recommend letting the ladybug out of it's cage at least once a day. Put it in a safe area, maybe a playpen, and fill it with objects for it to climb on and hide in. But be careful, ladybugs have wings and can fly, so always make sure you play with them in a safe area where they can't escape. 
Also hold your ladybug often. They'll climb all around you. You also mentioned training them. Unfortunately, as wild animals, they have no concept of commands. This si basically because insects are not readily kept by people, so they're as "wild" as any pet could be. This does NOT mean they bite. Ladybugs are gentle by nature, but in the wild they use only thier instincts to survive. A ladybug can be perfectly happy in captivity, but you can't train it like a dog. But make sure to play with it often, although ladybugs have no clue how training works, they do enjoy interaction. 
Another thing to do to make your ladybug even more comfortable is to give it a ladybug friend to live with it. Having two ladybugs is fun, and I'm sure the ladybugs like it too!
Also hold your ladybug often. They'll climb all around you. You also mentioned training them. Unfortunately, as wild animals, they have no concept of commands. This si basically because insects are not readily kept by people, so they're as "wild" as any pet could be. This does NOT mean they bite. Ladybugs are gentle by nature, but in the wild they use only thier instincts to survive. A ladybug can be perfectly happy in captivity, but you can't train it like a dog. But make sure to play with it often, although ladybugs have no clue how training works, they do enjoy interaction. Another thing to do to make your ladybug even more comfortable is to give it a ladybug friend to live with it. Having two ladybugs is fun, and I'm sure the ladybugs like it too! Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
I just read what the other person wrote. Trust me, they don't dry up like a locust shell - I've kept them for a long time. :3
no, i only wanted to keep them for a few hours. I know that they are wild bugs, but I wanted to know. You see, I can't have a pet of my own, so I resorted to keeping one bug at a time for a few hours (or minutes, depending on weather or not they are interesting, like actually do something) I ALWAYS release them back where I found them! I would feel horrible if I accidently killed it, or if I never put it back! that's just mean. I was only wondering how to take care of them temporarily, not even a full day. Sorry if it sounds stupid, but I love making bug size things, and letting bugs run around if onle for a little. Please don't think I would ever harm anything wild!
Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
did you even read what I wrote? I told you how to take care of them.
of course I read what you wrote! with the spray and the dirt and the pal. I read it! now that I think about it, is it considered animal cruelty to keep a ladybug captive? I am way more concerned about wild ANIMALS but bugs are cool too. I think I will keep one (2 actually, since you said they enjoy company) and see how it goes... If they never really move or anything, THEN I will release it. Is this understandable, or am I confusing?
Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
Animal cruelty is where you keep an animal in a teeny cage and starve it. Keeping ladybugs isn't animal cruelty. Fish live in tanks. Hamsters live in cages. And nobody says that's animal cruelty. So how is keeping ladybugs cruel? Ladybugs should be perfectly active and happy in a cage as long as you let them out regularly. Like any animal, they need their space. They might be still during some parts of the day though. This isn't like a state of misery, it's just that some insects aren't too actice, and ladybugs do take "naps" occasionaly. But they're usually happy and chipper.
foreva_pink
Active member
hey now!!! would u rele like it if sum1 just plucked u from ur home and stuck u in a box??? even if u spent like EVERY waking moment w/ it it still wouldnt b fair!! admire ladybugs from outside, not in ur house!!!!
Sweet Kandi
Well-known member
What do you think people do to hamsters or other pets?
They're wild until they're put into captivity and sometimes bred.
It's no different.
pyonchit
Well-known member
And then... they let them loose to wreak havoc on the environment. X3
(I am referring to the burmese python in particular.)
Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
Burmese pythons, yes. Ladybugs, no. They're downright helpful, they eat the bugs that destroy plants. And don't worry about the extinction of those bugs - every time a new one is born, it's ready to give birth itself. If nobody controlled the populations of those bugs, millions of plants would be dead. It's important that ladybugs and other insects keep their numbers down.
pyonchit
Well-known member
>.> Sereously, don't go environmentalist on me. I hate people who can only preach about what they should do but don't lift a finger to thow away that piece of trash over there... (instead, why not yell for me 50 feet away to come pick it up for you? And if I don't for some reason I magically owe you 5 dollars!)
I understand the circle of life. Don't preach to me assuming that I know less then you. I cried for the little baby squirrel I wrenched away from our cat in our backyard that got to go to heaven via smashed in skull. (with a shovel.) You know what my parents said to me? "Squirrels are pests anyway."
If ladybugs were indeed pests, you wouldn't care if they were in a cage or not.
Kiwitchi_Fan
Well-known member
I wasn't fighting with you, I was jsut saying that ladybugs are harmless. Sorry if I came across rude. And I care about the environment very much, I pick up any trash I see. And as for the pest thing - trust me I'd cry for the squirrel too.
The only reason I said ladybugs are harmless is that, as a whole, they don't wreak havoc on so many animals that they're a problem. I don't care if an animal is a pest or not, they all need to eat right? Besides, squirrels aren't nearly as pesty as aphids, they don't multiply as quickly. All I'm saying is that it's not the aphid's fault that they eat plants, it's just hhelpful that ladybugs keep their numbers down or we'd be overrun with them. Just a final note - ladybugs wouldn't wreak havoc cause they're native species and naturally live in the wild here. Burmese pythons don't natually live in the US, so when people catch them and release them in the Everglades, they eat species that they probably wouldn't find in their native home. They can;t help it, they need food, but if you ever keep an animal as a pet that doesn't naturally live in your area, don't release it. Ever. If you can't stand the commitment of a huge Burmese python and prepare to keep it it's whole life, don't buy the animal. And frankly, I believe we're getting off topic. All the person asked was a simple question of how to keep ladybugs in her house for a few days.
Aubrey Hepburn
Well-known member
People, you all need to settle down. It's ridiculous to argue over ladybug care. I wish I had caught this earlier.
Yes, you can keep ladybugs, but it is best to only keep them for a few hours for observation. As long as they are housed correctly, and re-released into the area where you found them, there is no cruelty involved. They are not healthy if they are fed a diet of anything besides their natural diet(aphids) for long periods of time. If you want to observe their natural behaviours, put them in an appropriate container(decent size and allows for air flow), along with a small branch with aphids on it. You will see them hunt and feed. Give them a little drip of water(right in front of them, but not ON them) to drink if they need to(always good to offer water to a wild creature, a rare opportunity for them), and re-release them in the morning or early evening.
As far as ethics are concerned, it is frustrating to have people "preach" to you about conservation and cruelty without them actually practicing what they are saying. BUT, it is also wrong to judge another person online and assume that they might be one of those people. Please don't jump to conclusions, as this is not the mark of one who is being truly open minded.
Yes, you can keep ladybugs, but it is best to only keep them for a few hours for observation. As long as they are housed correctly, and re-released into the area where you found them, there is no cruelty involved. They are not healthy if they are fed a diet of anything besides their natural diet(aphids) for long periods of time. If you want to observe their natural behaviours, put them in an appropriate container(decent size and allows for air flow), along with a small branch with aphids on it. You will see them hunt and feed. Give them a little drip of water(right in front of them, but not ON them) to drink if they need to(always good to offer water to a wild creature, a rare opportunity for them), and re-release them in the morning or early evening.
As far as ethics are concerned, it is frustrating to have people "preach" to you about conservation and cruelty without them actually practicing what they are saying. BUT, it is also wrong to judge another person online and assume that they might be one of those people. Please don't jump to conclusions, as this is not the mark of one who is being truly open minded.
well said!I wasn't fighting with you, I was jsut saying that ladybugs are harmless. Sorry if I came across rude. And I care about the environment very much, I pick up any trash I see. And as for the pest thing - trust me I'd cry for the squirrel too.The only reason I said ladybugs are harmless is that, as a whole, they don't wreak havoc on so many animals that they're a problem. I don't care if an animal is a pest or not, they all need to eat right? Besides, squirrels aren't nearly as pesty as aphids, they don't multiply as quickly. All I'm saying is that it's not the aphid's fault that they eat plants, it's just hhelpful that ladybugs keep their numbers down or we'd be overrun with them. Just a final note - ladybugs wouldn't wreak havoc cause they're native species and naturally live in the wild here. Burmese pythons don't natually live in the US, so when people catch them and release them in the Everglades, they eat species that they probably wouldn't find in their native home. They can;t help it, they need food, but if you ever keep an animal as a pet that doesn't naturally live in your area, don't release it. Ever. If you can't stand the commitment of a huge Burmese python and prepare to keep it it's whole life, don't buy the animal. And frankly, I believe we're getting off topic. All the person asked was a simple question of how to keep ladybugs in her house for a few days.
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