Field Notes

Most ladybugs you'll encounter are red with black dots — and that description fits native, introduced, and invasive species equally. Here's how to actually tell them apart, what the harlequin ladybug has been doing to native populations, and where the real ecological concerns are.

Ladybugs and predatory mites can run in the same space without meaningfully interfering with each other — but they're not doing the same job, and one won't cover for the other. Here's when the combination makes sense and when it's just extra cost.

Most ladybugs don’t fly off out of spite — they leave when the environment isn’t right. Learn how temperature, humidity, and shelter affect whether they settle or scatter, and how to create the ideal setup that keeps them working where you need them most.