How do you maintain a Lady Bug House?

Hi. This seems the most appropriate forum to ask. :) Thanks for any & all responses.

Does anyone know how to maintain a ladybug house?

I have an aphid infestation beyond exaggeration. Luckily the small lady bug release I did resulted in them staying & breeding well on my property. My garden conditions have everything they need including perfect hiding places, tons of pollen & water.

Ive carefully built a great little ladybug house.

1. Would it be beneficial to put it out in the summer? or should I wait till frost?

2. How do I maintain it during winter?

3. Where is the best place to place it?

This is something i have no experience with - try looking at this site:
http://insected.arizona.edu/ladyrear.htm

What variety of lady bug did you release? You may end up with unintended problems if it is the Asian variety. Large numbers were released out into the fields. Yes, they ate aphids, but they became a nuisance bug that tries to hibernate in houses and other structures. Their numbers have become great because they do not have a natural predator here in the states. Our house was covered in them one fall and many got in the home. It was our one and only time to hire an exterminator. Between that and me squishing any I find, they are more manageable.

We've learned to appreciate the native species of bugs that reside in our area and ID'ed two types of native lady beetles and they are all over our plants this spring. The pink-spotted have been seen on the house in the fall, but only one or two have gotten in. If it is temperate, I take bugs outside, but if too cold, I just leave them alone.

We will find the native ladybugs trying to hide in trees, under rocks and other things before winter. Your bugs should be able to find spots to hibernate that will be perfect for their needs and come back out in the spring to mate and feed on more aphids. If you bring this ladybug house into your home, the warmth may mess up their hibernation cycle.

I tried finding info on the web, but some houses look to be temporary, made out of cardboard and the wood ones look ideal for wasps. Native wasps are fine in my opinion, but sometimes they move into our little houses made for other species. One of our bird houses was claimed by a Northern Paper Wasp. I guess it's ok, since wasps tend to leave active nest boxes alone.

Maybe post this in the Wildlife forum and a different group of people can see this and help you better. :)

Ah, I just looked. You are not a paid subscriber, so you cannot get into the Wildlife forum. This one probably was your best option. I scoured through the list of forums and since this is related to your problem with aphids, the Pest and Diseases forum might be another spot to get some more input.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/pad/all/