I have been using ladybugs to keep my gardens pest free for many years and do not ever remember being bitten by one. However, it is documented that they do bite. Apparently they love salt and if your skin is salty they will see you as a source.
When releasing my ladybugs, after I have rain-watered my plants I gently let the ladybugs out of the bag or container directly onto the roses, tomatoes, herbs, berries, my fruit trees or whatever plant I see scale or aphids on. I don't usually handle them. I have occasionally had two or three fly up and land on me and have gently moved them off of me and back onto a plant that has their food source.
I do know that when a ladybug feels threatened an alkaloid toxin is secreted through the joints of their legs. This toxin has a noxious odor and apparently also has a nasty taste which discourages predators and will leave stains on cloth. But as I said I really don't handle them much.
They hang around until they have depleted their food source, and then fly away in an ever widening circle to clean the gardens of my neighbors. I have neighbors who have commented to me that its been a few years since they had to use pesticides...but they say they would again because "see how many years it lasts?" I just smile and watch the ladybugs crawling around on that neighbors prized roses.
Here is a video of a ladybug release, this gal uses her hands and is releasing them in the daytime but it will give you the idea...also if their bites hurt I doubt they would be giving them to children. I also think it shows there is no real wrong way to release them. I usually just follow whatever instructions come with them.
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