On Sun, 18 Feb 2001 17:52:58 GMT, "paul" <bizSPAMNOT@soon.com> wrote:

>I buy ladybugs by the quart and regularly store them in the 'fridge for over
>a month without much loss. When I receive them in the mail they are in an
>unbleached loose-weave muslin drawstring bag which is quite breathable. The
>bag is full of ladybugs and excelsior. There is no moisture added while the
>bugs are cooled.
>
>Your technique sounds workable but less than optimal. I am afraid that there
>will not be enough air circulation, that the moisture may lead to mold or
>fungus, and that the newspaper has toxic ink on it. I would recommend
>switching to the excelsior/muslin technique for better chances of survival.
>
>Your next question will be when/how to release them in the spring. When the
>bugs wake up they need water immediately, and then food secondarily. I've
>watched ladybugs drink water and go straight to having sex once released.
>Presumably their next step is to get something to eat. They need soft-bodied
>insects to eat, so I wouldn't release them until you've got some flowers up
>in the garden and you have seen some bugs worth eating. After sundown spray
>water everywhere you want the bugs to stay. Then pull the bugs out of the
>fridge and gently toss them on the moistened plants. You have to work fast,
>because once the bugs wake up they start crawling out of the bag.
>
>Also, be sure you know what the ladybug looks like in the egg and larval
>stage so you don't inadvertently harm the successive generations.