Building a ladybird house

So, marigolds and aphids will attract ladybirds and give them a food source, but how to get them to stay? If there is a nice shelter for them to nest in relatively near the aphid source, then they will set up home and stay. The best way to provide this is to build a ladybird house...it's really simple. The whole thing only needs to measure about 15 x 19 x 25cm and can be built out of cheap pine and stained to make it weather proof (or left bare and just replaced each year when it weathers), or made of any cypress to prevent other bugs detsroying it if you have termites etc around. I used 2cm thick pine and these were my measurements:

1 piece 19x15cm (top of the house)
1 piece 15x11cm (base of the house)
3 pieces 15x25cm (sides and back - position so back board sits in between the 2 side pieces the base plate sits INSIDE all 3 whereas the top plate sits ON all 3)
1 piece 14.5x21cm (front door of the house)

All you do is drill and screw it together ( or nail it if you prefer). I fitted the back plate in between the 2 sides, then the top onto all of these 3 pieces. I then fixed the base plate in the bottom. You only screw the front door in at the top of it, leaving a 1cm gap at top and bottom for the ladybirds to enter and exit by. The only thing you need to do that's at all tricky is drill the holes in the side pieces that the screws are going to go through into the front door BIGGER than the diameter of the screws. The drill holes in the front door panel should fit thr screws snuggly. This will allow the front door to swing open, allowing you to flip it up to clean out the house, put in fresh bedding / water etc.

This is the original design I saw that I modified to make simpler (it suited the wood scraps I had in the garage):

thanks to http://habitat.ms11.net/bee/beneficial.htm

Purchase 1" x 6" x (whatever you desire: Must be at least 3') wood piece. (actual size for 1"x6" is 3/4"x51/2") Cut all pieces one at a time to allow for kerf. Edge top and sand all pieces. Use washers in front to allow pivoting for twigs, lady bugs, and cleaning. (may have to be screwed shut later) Paint or seal with exterior paint. Decorate with your choice of décor (Lady Bugs preferred). Attach to pole and place into garden area. The lady bug house should be 1-2 feet from ground. (Avoid rain damage)

Birds are unlikely to get into the lady bug house. The space between the base and the front should only be 3/4" and the space between the top and the front should only be 1".

What to put in it?
Bedding: just some compost / organic potting mix at the bottom, +/- some straw or (best) fix some babmoo sticks round the edges of the inside, positioned so the ladybirds can get inside the bamboo to nest inside it.
Lure / food: you can buy ladybird lure pheremone solution but if you have the right plants in your courtyard they'll probably come anyway. But to keep them in your new little house it's good to provide a water source (SHALLOW, about the depth of half a ladybird), a little bit of sponge soaked in sugar water as food and also some aphids if you have some leaves with some on available.

Where to put it?
In a sheltered warm area (not facing straight into the wind and not in full sun all day) and near the aphids.
Do not hide it in the foliage too much or they won't find it.
Ladybirds like to nest about 30-60cm off the ground so place it at about this level if possible. You can attach it to a post or, like I did, nail a couple of picture hooks on the back then hook it on a trellis. My aphids are mainly on my potatoes and passionfruit so I placed it right near both of these.

When to put it out:
It's best placed out in spring time as, if put out at any other time of year, you're likely to get spiders and other bugs moving in before the ladybirds find it.

To decorate or not to decorate?
Ladybirds like yellow and white so you could paint it yellow and white to help attract them. Mine is just stained to protect form the weather then very poorly decorated with some yellow plastic flowers tacked on with upholstery pins..I was having a 'use whatever I have available in the house' day when I made it :-)

Sourcing ladybirds in Australia?
Once it's out, just wait for ladybirds...it took 5 days after planting my marigolds and building my house that I found my first ever one in my garden (yey!) BUT I have at last (after loads of searching, quizzing Bunnings staff and hassling biological services customer services people!) found a company that will post you ladybirds! They are delivered to your door, cost about AU$30, and come as eggs on a ribbon that you hang in the little house near the food source. The company is called IPM technologies. This is their link: http://www.ipmtechnologies.com.au/Beneficials.htm

The other options you have as aphid predators that can be mail ordered in Australia are:
Aphidius wasps (lay their eggs in aphids so they then hatch out and burst and kill the aphid - harsh!)...available from www.biologicalservices.com.au
Brown lacewings - also available from IPM technologies.