Ladybug

A small red or orange beetle with black spots. Both the adults and their spiky black-and-orange larvae eat aphids, mites, and other soft-bodied pests. One of the best beneficial insects you can have in the garden.

• Round red or orange beetles with black spots on leaves.
• Alligator-shaped black larvae with orange markings — those are baby ladybugs.
• Aphid populations dropping without you doing anything.

• Plant dill, fennel, yarrow, and alyssum to attract them.
• Skip broad-spectrum insecticides — they kill ladybugs too.
• Leave a few aphids around — no food, no ladybugs.