Are Ladybugs Good Luck? Understanding This Superstition

Updated April 21, 2022
Young woman holding ladybug as it takes off in flight

The ladybug is considered a good luck ambassador of the insect world, and is universally beloved in their little red and black polka dot jackets. In every region where the ladybug resides, there are stories and superstitions about this powerful little bug and how it brings luck and abundance wherever it goes.

Why Are Ladybugs Good Luck?

As in almost every good luck superstition, the basis for the lucky ladybug belief started with a real-life situation. The ladybug has been known as a friend to farmers for centuries, often making the difference between crop failure and success, due to their pest-controlling abilities. In ancient times, crop failure could mean the collapse of an entire village, so the appearance of ladybugs was seen as divine intervention when they arrived to wipe out the destructive pests.

Seven-spot Ladybird at four-leaved clover

Ladybug Superstitions and Legends

The belief that ladybugs bring good luck is based on superstitions and legends from a variety of cultures. The oldest and oldest known legend explains how the ladybug got its name. In the Middle Ages, farmers were in danger of losing their crops through insect invasions. The ladybugs appeared and destroyed the damaging pests, for which the farmers gave the Virgin Mary the credit for sending them to save them. Initially called Our Lady's Beetle, the name was shortened to ladybug as centuries passed and the legend spread throughout the world.

Do Ladybugs Bring Good Luck in Love?

The ladybug good luck superstitions go beyond good fortune and abundance, and are also considered lucky for love and marriage. The ladybug's love luck may originate with its heroic appearance in ancient farming. In those times, marriage was tied in to the material success of farmers and their crops. The appearance of a ladybug and the successful harvest that followed was a sign that there would be weddings that season. It's still considered very lucky for a ladybug to land on you, and it can be a messenger of good news coming soon.

Ladybugs in the House Meaning

Seeing a ladybug in your home is considered good luck in money, abundance, and love. The connection between ladybugs and successful harvests makes them a lucky symbol for successful projects and business growth. To preserve the good vibes it brings, carefully relocate your ladybug outside, preferably setting it on a leaf where it can safely fly away. While a few ladybugs in your house can be a cause for feeling optimistic about good fortune, a ladybug infestation is not considered good feng shui. The overabundance of anything disrupts positive chi energy. Using humane methods of removing the mass of ladybugs will help you avoid any negative feng shui effects.

Lady bug in your house meaning

Are Ladybugs Good Feng Shui?

Though ladybugs are not native to China, they have found their way into Western Feng Shui practices because of the good luck that they represent. Many living things, like frogs and crickets, are considered good for generating positive chi energy around your home. The presence of a benevolent creature like this brings balance to a home, either through art, or in the case of ladybugs and crickets, through their arrival. Because ladybugs are known for their abundance and love luck, artwork or figurines depicting ladybugs are good additions to the wealth sector and the love and relationship sector in your home. Using a simple bagua map, you can find these areas for your ladybug art.

Seven spot Ladybird

Where to Place Ladybug Art in Your Home for Good Luck

Even though ladybugs are not considered feng shui symbols, they can still bring positive energy into your life and home. Ladybugs make cute subjects for art and fabric patterns, and are especially helpful in some sectors of your home.

  • Add ladybug art and accessories in the love corner of your bedroom to improve love luck, especially when depicted in pairs.
  • Red is a feng shui color for the love and relationship sector of your home, so the red and black ladybugs will increase positive love energy there.
  • Your kitchen is represented by the fire element, which is activated by the color red. Ladybug patterns can be used for kitchen linens and art to support this element.
  • Ladybugs are a positive and cheerful addition to children's rooms, as their lucky nature enhances positive and cheerful energy.

Seeing a Ladybug

As a gardener, seeing ladybugs is always a welcome sight. Their pest-control abilities make them a lucky addition to any garden, and these helpful insects are often brought in every spring to control aphids and other pests. You don't need to be a gardener to appreciate the arrival of a ladybug. Their cheerful colors and spots can brighten up your mood and maybe bring a little luck to your day.

Are Ladybugs Good Luck? Understanding This Superstition