Description
Watch ladybug larvae transform into adorable ladybugs! Your child can witness every fascinating stage of ladybug metamorphosis with our see-through, domed Live Ladybug Land. Easy to Maintain Your ladybug larvae will arrive in a special shipping tube complete with food. This will be all the food your larvae will need to develop into Pink Spotted Ladybugs. Children may be surprised to find that ladybug larvae are not as cute and round as their adult counterparts. They actually look like little alligators! You'll notice there is a cool volcanic crater in the middle of the Live Ladybug Land. Remove the magnification cap from the Live Ladybug Land, or ladybug habitat, and place a couple of drops of water on the sponge in the middle of the crater. Your ladybug larvae will visit the crater when they are thirsty, so be sure to keep the sponge moist, but not saturated, for the duration of their lifecycle. Sprinkle the ladybug larvae and food from the tube into the habitat. Keep your Live Ladybug Land in a safe place away from heat or drafts and get ready to watch the ladybug activity! Raise Your Very Own Ladybugs! The ladybug larvae will busy themselves searching for food, eating, molting, and growing constantly. It's fun to keep a scientific journal to record the larvae's activity and growth. How many times do the ladybug larvae shed their skin? Soon, the larvae will have stored enough energy to pupate. They will attach themselves to the floor and walls of the dome, curl up and harden into pupae. After about 5 days, they will emerge as adult ladybugs. Once your larvae have metamorphosed into adult ladybugs, they will depend on you to provide them with food. Simply soak one or two raisins in water for about 5 minutes, blot them on a paper towel, cut them in half and drop them into the Live Ladybug Land. This should keep your ladybugs well fed for about a week. When the raisin disappears, place another one in the habitat. If you happen to have plants outdoors infested with harmful aphids, you can place a few of the aphid-covered leaves in the Live Ladybug Land. Ladybugs are especially fond of aphids! Set Them Free! After you have enjoyed your ladybugs for a few days, it is best to let them go outdoors where they can begin the ladybug life cycle all over again. Ladybugs are especially helpful creatures and they can assist you in ridding your garden of harmful pests (like aphids). If you would like your ladybugs to remain in your yard, try to release them in the morning. Simply take the Live Ladybug Land outside, remove the dome of the habitat and let your ladybugs fly away. A few may visit for a moment on hands and fingers before taking flight.
