How to Make Ladybug Homes

In creating a home for your ladybugs, it is imperative that you mimic their natural habitat as closely as possible so they can thrive. To do so, you must provide your new pets with the shelter, sunlight, water and food that exists in their habitat in the wild. You can learn much about the workings of nature through observing the ladybugs in their new home.

Things You'll Need

  • Glass jar with lid
  • Spray bottle
  • Craft knife
  • Sticks and leaves
  • Aphids or raisins
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Poke several holes into the lid of a glass jar using a knife. Children should seek an adult's help in completing this step.

    • 2

      Place several sticks and leaves from outside into the jar. Next, use a spray bottle to spray a thin mist of water onto the sticks and leaves. This step makes the jar mimic the ladybugs' natural habitat, where they rely on leaves and branches to hide from predators and dew and rainwater to keep hydrated.

    • 3

      Locate some aphids in the wild to serve as the ladybugs' food. Aphids are insects that are typically found on freshly growing plants, so you are likely to find them on flower buds and other budding plants. Once you locate the aphids, use a stick to transfer them into the jar. If you only plan to keep the ladybugs for a short duration of time, you can substitute the aphids with raisins. However, it is inadvisable to keep ladybugs on a raisin diet for more than one week.

    • 4

      Transfer the ladybugs into the jar once you have finished Steps 1 to 3. Secure the lid firmly onto the jar and place the completed ladybug home in a sunny location. Choose a location that is usually sunny if it is a cloudy day.

    • 5

      Spray the inside of the ladybug home once or twice a day so that your ladybugs will always have access to an ample water supply. Do not spray more than one or two sprays at a time to keep from drowning the ladybugs.

    • 6

      Keep an eye on the aphids or raisins to ensure that your ladybugs always have access to food. The food should last them a long time, but replace it if you notice it is all gone.