Ladybird, ladybird...

‘Ladybird ladybird fly away home,
Your house is on fire and your children are gone,
All except one and that’s little Ann,
For she crept under the frying pan.’

“Ladybird, ladybird” would be chanted by a small child when this pretty, little, inoffensive insect landed on their person. If the ladybird did not fly away of its own accord the child would gently blow it away chanting “Ladybird Ladybird fly away home”. This insect is commonly found every summer in the gardens of Britain - the most common colour is red with black spots, less common are the yellow variety. This nursery rhyme is purely situational and has no basis in history for its origins.

Ladybirds should be welcomed in any garden, indeed they are generally regarded with respect and affection by most who come across them. This is probably in part because as children we recognise them through rhymes and stories learned from nursery school onwards. As gardeners our high regard for these small creatures is not unfounded for they are one of our best deterrents against garden pests. Most ladybirds are carnivorous their particular favourite food being greenfly. However they don’t stop there, they will also eat small caterpillars before they can cause real problems and they will take mealybugs, mites and even some scale insects. And just like bees they help pollinate plants as they move from flower to flower in there busy sort of way.