"Ladybird, Ladybird ...

“Ladybird Ladybird,

Fly away home,

Your house is on fire

And your children are all gone;

All except one

And that’s little Ann,

And she has crept under

The warming pan” *

I remember when my mum used to read this out to us when we were little.

We grew up with extensive gardens which included flower beds, roses, fruit trees

and a plethora of vegetables and herbs because mum and dad both had green fingers and always there were ladybirds.

When they used to land on me, I was told they brought good luck….”make a wish”! They have always been in my world and when it becomes spring the ladybirds take hold and become protectors of our gardens. Lucky us to have them working on our side. They love mites, scale and aphids and we love them because they do.

There are over 6,000 species worldwide and it would seem every country has different ways of referring to these cute little beetles, known officially as Coccinellidae which in Latin means ‘scarlet’.

In medieval times farmers referred to them as ‘Our lady’ when they prayed to the Virgin Mary to deliver them from the horrors of plague of pests. The ladybirds would come and save their crops.

Ladybird, bug or beetle, it matters not. In United States they are referred to as ladybugs and in Australia and Great Britain ladybirds. In Germany they are referred to as marienkäfer pronounced Ma…n..karrrfer which means in english Marybeetle.

In France they are known fondly as coccinelle, in Italy coccinella and in the netherlands - lieveheersbeestje, in Spain mariquita. The Turkish call them

the ‘good luck bug’.

There are so many varieties, whilst the most popular is the red and black

spotted variety, the coccinellids can also be seen in orange, yellow and

everything in-between with a variety of spots. Most popularly are the seven spots but some are known to only have one spot whilst others can have up to twelve.

Their bright colours and patterns form a type of protection from predators which known as aposematism and they can also excrete a foul tasting toxin through their joints which offers another line of defence. Being a beetle they are tiny and have six little black legs, black head with two patches on each side, an antennae and their body shape is round to oval.

Ladybirds are our friends and protectors in the garden. Can’t find them? Have a look in your garden, they come out in spring and you’ll discover them on the underneath of leaves, sometimes hidden on the stems of plants and when you do have the fortune of seeing a ladybird, take a deep breath, make a wish and you will see………..

*Source: The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes 2000