Happy Christmas ladybug Lovers -

We’d like to dedicate this blog to our special friend and hand crafters – Rene Hughes. Rene, a wife and mother, from originally from South Africa, is now living in Maryland.  She has been designing and creating the majority of our ladybug, turtle and now frog, Christmas and all occasion cards for some time. When she first decided to start making cards she had no real confidence that they would sell. Little did she know that soon her cards will be the only ones available in our store – which means that they are very popular and sell very well.  If you receive our newsletter you’ll see that we are focusing on her talents and all of her Christmas cards for the next week. Each has its only special flavor and brings just a little extra something to the gifts you give.  The picture/card shown is just one of the many in our selection that Rene has made for us. If you’re interest in seeing more of Rene’s work – type the word “cards” in the search window on our website – www.ladybug-shop.com and you’ll find her entire collection.

As a holiday treat - now through Sunday, Rene’s cards on sale for 20% off – bring the price down from $5 to $4. We encourage you to take a look and see what we see – wonderful cards created by an amazing, talented and pretty funny young woman.  One that we are proud to call friend and truly enjoy!

As always – mention this blog in the note section of your order and we’ll give you an additional 10% off your order.

Happy Christmas to all of you !! 

Christopher and David

More cool facts about Ladybugs

Ladybugs practice cannibalism

If food is scarce, ladybugs will do what they must to survive, even if it means eating each other. A hungry ladybug will make a meal of any soft-bodied sibling it encounters. Newly emerged adults or recently molted larvae are soft enough for the average ladybug to chew. Eggs or pupas also provide protein to a ladybug that has run out of aphids.

Ladybug adults hibernate, usually gathering in large groups.

As days get shorter and temperatures fall, ladybugs seek shelter behind bark, under leavers or in other protected locations, taking advantage of the collective warmth of a colony. Asian multicolored ladybugs, in invasive species in North America, have earned a reputation as a home invader. These beetles tend to move indoors for winter, where they can become a nuisance in people’s houses. Convergent ladybugs gather in the mountains in such numbers that collectors can scoop them up by the bucket full.

As for the Ladybug Shop – We are preparing for a holiday fair in Salisbury MD this Saturday, feel free to stop by and say hello. We will be having a raffle while we’re there. We have an EXTRA large stuff ladybug that attendee’s will be able to win.

For the rest of the month we will continue to offer FREE Shipping for all orders over $100. We will pay the normal shipping costs – for all orders in the lower 48 states. For overseas/out of the country orders – we will pay for the regular shipping cost IF you will pay the additional shipping costs.

We have had a few customers calling their orders because they are having trouble placing their orders online. PLEASE -  If you are having trouble processing your order – please give us a call at 302.422.5470 and we’d be happy to take your order over the phone. Typically we’re able to get back to you within 24 hours or less.

Thank you for catching the bug – and as always - mention this blog in your order and we’ll give you an extra 10% off your entire order.

More Cool Ladybug Facts - and Ladybug Shop Info

 

 

 

Cool Ladybug Facts

 

The “lady” in ladybug refers to the Virgin Mary.

 

Legend has it that crops in Europe during the Middle Ages ere plagued by pests, so the farmers began praying to the Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary. Soon the farmers started seeing ladybugs in their fields, and the crops were miraculously saved from the pests. They associated their good fortune with the black and red beetles, and so began calling them ladybug beetles. In Germany, these insects go by the name Marienkafer, which means Mary beetles.

 

Ladybug bleed from their knees when threatened.

 

A ladybug’s hemolymph is both toxic and rank. Startle a ladybug, and the foul-smelling fluid will seep from its leg joints, leaving yellow stains on the surface below. Potential predators may be deterred by the vile mix of alkaloids, and equally repulsed by the sight of a seemingly sickly beetle. Ladybug larvae can ooze from their abdomens.

 

To business –

 

We’re continuing to mark down product and product lines throughout the online store. Many items have been discontinued or we just have too many. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO we’re passing a savings along to our customers. Most items are marked to 50 – 60 -70% off – some as low as COST. We have placed these items in the “Special Sale” section on our website (www.ladybug-shop.com) you can also find many items in the “Items $5 or less” category. Between now and Christmas we hope to clear these items from our website and bring in new and exciting Ladybug – Turtle and Frog merchandise. So keep and eye out for additional sales and percentages off.

 

We’ve had some customers call us with problems using our website – if you are trying to place an order and seem to be having difficulties – please call us at 302.422.5470 and we’ll take your order over the phone. Also – we can’t have our website company fix the problem if we don’t know what it is. So your comments would be very helpful. Thank you in advance.

 

As Thanksgiving and Black Friday are approaching we’re doing our best to get ready for the Christmas shopping season. The best thing we can tell you all is to BREATHE – be joyous and merry !!! =)

 

Have a GREAT day and be lucky – and thanks for catching the bug !

 

Christopher and David

 

As always if you mention this blog in the notes section of your order we’ll give you an additional 10% off your order. And at this time of year – every little bit helps.

How do they fly ?

How Do Ladybug's Fly?

We all know, or most of us know, that their wings are hidden. The ladybug's hard protective colored shell, called the elytra, is actually a set of modified forewings. To fly, the ladybug opens up the elytra and unfurls a second set of delicate wings - the alae.

Wing motion - the alae move rapidly in a complex stroking motion, flapping perhaps 100 strokes or more per second. Each wing can move up and down, forward and backward. The wings are about four time as big as the ladybug itself. Ladybugs will not fly when it is below 55 degrees fahrenheit. they will, however, fly great distances to find safe places to spend the winter, preferring higher elevations.

Cool Fact Number One -

Ladybugs aren't really bugs at all; they're beetles.

Entomologically speaking, the term bugs applies to insects of the order Hemiptera. Ladybugs belong to the order Coleoptera, or beetles. Eurpeans have called these dome-backed beeles by the name ladybirds, or ladybird beetles, for more than 500 years. In America, the name ladybird was replaced with ladybug. Scientists usually prefer the common name lady beetle.

Store News -

As of late we have been going through all of the stock that has been hanging out for a while and marking it down, some as low as cost. We have discontinued many items and look to our vendors to offer new and exciting items to share with you our customers. To help us clear out some of our stock we are offer all of our blog followers 20% off any item in the "Special Sale" tab of our website - www.ladybug-shop.com - YOU MUST MENTION THIS BLOG to get the discount. As you know - discounts will be taken in the store at the time of sale.  So take advantage of the deals and stock up on Christmas presents now while supplies last.

This offer will last until midnight Oct 12, 2013 pst.

Thanks for stopping by and catching the bug !

Christopher and David

Ladybug Fun Facts and Deals !

Hello Ladybug Lovers -

In the next few weeks we plan to offer you some interesting information about Ladybug's as well as some general information about our online line Ladybug Shop store. We hope that you find it entertaining - or at least informative. =)

We found an article that starts 10 Cool Facts about Ladybugs - Here is fact number one.

The Common Ladybug -

Typically reddish-orange, with black and white accents, the most common of our native ladybugs in Delaware is the C-9, named because of the nine spots on its back. The seven-spotted bug, introduced in the 1950's, is a non-native. It is nicknamed the C-7 for its seven spots. Both of these species are well known in Delaware as natural pest controllers. The larvae and adults feed on aphids. Ladybugs are capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day but will also eat a variety of other insects including mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, mites and vaiours types of soft-bodied insects. They are harmless to plants and humans. According to the National Geographic, the Coccinellidae (ladybug family) has about 5,000 different species. They are found almost everywhere in the world.

From the Store -

In the store we are trying to cut down on few of our vendors and the number of products we carry. Therefore we have placed many items in the "Special Sale" section of our website. Basically we're doing this because a great many items have been discontinued from the vendor or have been in the store for an extended period of time. We're hoping to lower this stock so that we can bring in some new products and product lines.

Check out our latest online newsletter - it can be found on our facebook - linkedin and Twitter pages.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/LadyBug-Shop/120779317954580?ref=hl

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LadyBug_Lovers

Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=68201821&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic

Lastly - If you mention this blog on your next order we'll give you 20% off your entire order - this does not include items that are already on sale - or - shipping - but does include the "Special Sale" section. Discounts will be taken in the shop at the time of sale.

Thank you for catching the bug - We hope to hear from you soon !

Be lucky,

Christopher and David

Hello Ladybug Lovers –

We’re looking for some feedback on a possible idea that we have. We were thinking of developing a catalog of ALL or MANY of our items and then creating a “Ladybug Party”, somewhat like a Pampered Chef party.  We were thinking of starting here in Milford, since it’s local and the retail space is now closed, it would give the members of the community to shop without shipping cost. If it works out – we would then venture out to other locations.
 
The party would run like this. We would bring a small sampling of items so the attendees would have an idea about some of the products we carry. We would hand out the catalogs with order forms and let the guests order from the catalog or our website. Once orders were placed we could either arrange for pick-up or shipment. Hopefully the host would have party treats like every good hostess would. We would offer specials on some items and offer the host/hostess a percentage off of their order based on the amount the party drew in.

So the questions to you are – do you think that it would be something that YOU would attend? Would you have a party such as this? Do you have suggestions to add to the party idea? We’re very excited to hear from you and would love your input. We’re thinking that it would be great to get this started sometime in late October. We could make it a great opportunity for the Christmas Season.

Thanks in advance for you opinion and ideas.

Christopher and David

And Lastly – if you mention this blog in your order we’ll give you an extra 15% off your entire order.

www.ladybug-shop.com

LadyBug Shop - A unique collection of ladybug gifts & much more!#links#links

LadyBug Shop - A unique collection of ladybug gifts & much more!#links#links

Hello from the Ladybug Shop.

So it’s been a few months since the retail space of the Ladybug Shop closed. Since then, we have been really concentrating on making the online store and our service to our customers that much better. Granted it has been a bit of a challenge with the US Postal Service, FedEx and UPS but we’re getting there. Just a little FYI – they thought that we had moved or closed down completely, so many of our vendor orders were returned and our mail stopped. But finally we’re getting things back to normal.

One of the other things that we’ve attacked is the over flow of stock and the items that have been discontinued by many of our vendors. Which means that the “Special Sale” tab on the website has grown by leap and bounds, when you get a moment – check it out and the prices along with – we have really marked down a great deal.

As we continue to push this stock out the door we are doing our best to find new and interesting Ladybug – Turtle and Frog items to offer. Slowlu but surely we’re getting there. THANK YOU – for your understanding.

With these changes, David is continuing to be creative and add his artistic talents to some of the items in stock. An example would be the new red ladybug canvas bags. He has painted a yellow sunflower on the bag with a cute ladybug front and center. Christopher is continuing to enjoy searching for new Ladybug – Turtle and Frog photos to share on Facebook and Twitter. He has also decided to start a group on Linkedin “Ladybug Lovers”. If you’re interested feel free to look him up.

As always – continue to look for our posts on the above sites, and our online newsletters and E-Blasts.

Thank you for catching the bug !!!

Be lucky ~

Christopher and David

The Ladybug Shop has partnered with "Riley's Place". We will be donating 15% of every order, not including shipping, that mentions "Riley's Place" in the note section of their order. Also, please feel free to go to www.rileys-place.org and make your own donation.

Just a little background
Riley’s Place was founded in 2009 by a group of caring people from the local community in honor of a young lady named Riley Church who, in 2006, at the age of 14, died of brain cancer after a two-year battle. Riley’s love of nature and all animals - especially cats, dogs, horses, lambs and goats - shaped her joyful and compassionate spirit. When Riley was no longer able to ride horses and spend time with other animals, a group of friends brought a miniature horse to visit her at home. The visit brought joy, fun and a welcomed respite to Riley, her family and friends. This visit became the inspiration for Riley’s Place and the programs that would bring the same benefits to other children in need.

Their on-site and off-site programs are free of charge. Their mission is to serve children with chronic or life-threatening illness, children who are homeless, who have special needs, or who need opportunities to experience and appreciate the healthful benefits of interacting with animals and nature.

Where is Riley's Place?
A wonderful home for Riley’s Place was found in 2009. As a result, Riley’s Place is nestled within the grounds of the renowned National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT), easily accessible from HWY 280 and Woodside Road. This is the perfect location for our beautiful and comfortable little barn which is a safe and welcoming home for our animals and a year-round haven for visitors to enjoy them. Our Serenity Garden offers a relaxing fountain and bench for enjoying and appreciating nature. To arrange for a tour please call or email Wendy Mattes, Executive Director, Riley's Place: wendy@rileys-place.org 650.703.5199.

Here at the Ladybug Shop, we are trying to look for organizations that are doing good work, need a little help and are willing to work with us to build a GREAT partnership. We've found that in "Riley's Place". Won't you join us and give them your support! 

www.rileys-place.com

Ladybug Spots

So what is the function of ladybug spots?


Ladybug spot patterns vary widely from species to species and come in a variety of colors. Most people are familiar with black spots, but they also come in brown, blue, beige, green, orange, red, yellow and white. Just as the shell or elytra comes in a variety of colors other than the popular red including black, beige, pink, yellow, orange, brown, green and blue.

Ladybugs are warning predators with their spot patterns that they taste bad. They are poisonous to small predators such as lizards and birds that might consider them for a meal. Many species also have eyespots that further deter predators.

OK, so what's an eyespot? Look at that ladybug to the left. That's the Eyed Ladybird, Anatis Ocellata. Eyespots are just extra decorative spots that look like eyes. They often trick predators by making ladybugs or other animals that have them appear larger. Additionally they are often located away from the head to draw a predators attack away, increasing the ladybug's chance of survival.

Spots also aid us in identifying a ladybugs species. Though not the primary factor in determining a ladybugs species, they are one of the properties that help etymologists and ladybug enthusiasts narrow down what group they might fall into.