Ladybugs on the ceiling, not on plants!

[RandyL]

I got a new cup of ladybugs the other day to take care of my plants. They are stupid creatures.

I put a few hundred of them out on the plants, and for a while they ran around on the plants.

I came into the room later to water the plants, and about 50 ladybugs were on the rims of several buckets, running laps around them like the Daytona 500 or something. And many more had flown up to the 7 foot long wooden 2 by 3, about a foot below the ceiling, which holds my lights up.

I just installed air cooled reflectors, and the temperature in the room, 6 feet off the floor, is in the 83-87 degree range most of the time.

Now I've got a good 50-60 ladybugs hanging out on that wooden beam, all over the ropes tied to it.

I want them to come down to the plants and kill mites and anything they can find. I sprayed some water up on the beam and ropes so they'd have water if needed.

I also put water on the floor (covered with a plastic sheet), but I haven't seen any ladybugs going down there for a drink.

What can I do here?

 

[LighTer]

their first instinct is to survive, so if you want them to eat the mites....they will.

 

[RandyL]

Well I want them to, and I have explained this to them, but they are more interested in flying up high on the walls or on top of the lights and staying there.

I'm seeing small amounts of mites on the top of several plants, and I put ladybugs there. They walk around the leaves for a while then go down the plants or fly away.

 

[SnowBender]

Around here rigth now its the time of year when the lady bugs migrate in large swarms down my valley, traveling from east to west in a virtual ladybug highway in the sky. it happens the first few weeks of warm weather we have.

I think, like us, its just the time of year when they try and leave for vacation.

 

[TorturedSoul]

A few hundred? How large is your space, lol? Maybe their tired of the big-city life and are trying to find the suburbs.

Like just about everything, they'll eat when they get hungry.

Making water available for them is a good idea, as they need it. Have you tried misting your plants at lights-on (so things haven't gotten hot yet) instead of the floor and near your ceiling?

Every year "a few" end up getting inside and they seem to like the ceiling and window areas.

If you want them to avoid the ceiling, get a few praying mantises and shackle their little legs to the ceiling on short ropes (perhaps made out of spider-silk). I bet a day later you don't have many lady bugs up there. And a week later you probably wouldn't have any anywhere, lol.

 

[RandyL]

My grow room is 7.5 feet by 8.5 feet, with a 9 foot ceiling.

 

[Oneperfectluv]

This may or may not help you but try using some Menthol on your ceilings as a repellent !!! Hope this helps Brother
One Love !!!!!

 

[dmt-bee-fight]

fucking hell. i just found a lady bug on my plant and i killed it!!

i figured it would eat the plant not other bugs.