Sunday, June 29, 2008
It’s a battle of the bugs in downtown Lawrence.
The Lawrence Parks and Recreation department released 18,000 ladybugs Thursday, June 26 at about 7:30 p.m., in an effort to eliminate the threat of aphids and mites damaging city flowers.
The department decided to use the ladybugs as a natural pest control solution instead of pesticides after city commissioners campaigned for pesticide-free parks this year.
Once released, the ladybugs crawl into plants, flowers and shrubs in search of the pests. A ladybug can eat up to 50 pests a day, plus insect eggs, according to a release.
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Ladybugs
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Ladybug Fun Facts: 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide. 400 species live in North America. A female ladybug can lay more than 1,000 eggs in her lifetime. A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second. The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female. Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down . The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 2-3 years.
“We are hoping they get in there and eat the harmful pests,” said Crystal Miles, Lawrence horticulture manager. “Or they could fly away.”
Lawrence Parks and Recreation employees released the beneficial bugs in 14 locations around town, including Buford Watson Jr. Park, the Union Pacific Depot and flowers beds along Massachusetts street.
Miles said aphids thrive in cool, cloudy weather, causing high population in aphids this year.
“We usually plant flowers that are insect resistant,” Miles said. “We have just had really unusual weather.”
The city has used a chemical soap-based pesticide in the past. Miles purchased the ladybugs online from a natural garden company in Bozeman, Mont.
“This is the first time we have done this,” Miles said. “We are hoping they stay and lay eggs and have two generations here.”
Field supervisor John McDonald said the ladybugs are much more beneficial for the environment, but was not sure how much more effective the ladybugs were than pesticides in removing pests.
“I don’t know,” McDonald said. “We’ll give it a try and find out.”
The city bought the bugs for $43. Miles said people could try ladybugs at local greenhouses and use them in their own homes.
As for whether the ladybugs will continue to call Lawrence home, Miles said she expected to see results in the next few days.
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