She published an influential series of articles on useful insects and pests in the Gardeners' Chronicle and the Agricultural Gazette along with annual reports from 1877 to 1900.

Eleanor was a daughter of Sarah and George Ormerod, FRS, author of The History of Cheshire, and was born at Sedbury Park, Gloucestershire.

In 1881, Ormerod published a special report on the turnip-fly, and in 1882 was appointed consulting entomologist to the Royal Agricultural Society,[4] a post she held until 1892.

[1] Her works on natural history were widely cited and she undertook brave experiments: Miss Ormerod, to personally test the effect, pressed part of the back and tail of a live Crested Newt between the teeth.

"The first effect was a bitter astringent feeling in the mouth, with irritation of the upper part of the throat, numbing of the teeth more immediately holding the animal, and in about a minute from the first touch of the newt a strong flow of saliva.

Her investigations have been chiefly directed towards the discovery of methods for the prevention of the ravages of those insects which are injurious to orchard, field and forest.

Her labours have been crowned with such success that she is entitled to be hailed the protectress of agriculture and the fruits of the earth—a beneficent Demeter of the 19th century.

[10] On the death of her father she and her sisters moved to Torquay where their uncle Dr Mere Latham lived but relocated after three years to Spring Grove, Isleworth to be near to Kew Gardens where she had close friends in Sir Joseph and Lady Hooker, the garden's director.

[3] In 1887 she moved to Torrington House, 47 Holywell Hill, St Albans, Hertfordshire with her sister Georgiana Elizabeth Ormerod.

She was buried in the same grave as her sister Georgiana (who was a scientific illustrator), at Hatfield Road Cemetery in St Albans.