Posts Tagged "ladybug"

You can lead a ladybug to aphids, but you can’t make him eat!

I noticed a crowd of black aphids on a mock orange volunteer I was nurturing. Fate descended in the form of a ladybug on my arm, so I relocated him to the aphid shmorgisbord.

Have you heard of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? It’s pretty common practice now in greenhouses, on farms, and orchards as an alternative to pesticides. Ladybugs and their larvae devour aphids and other pest insects as part of their regular diet. IPM takes advantage of that food chain and introduces beneficial predator insects, preemptively in most cases.

I spent about 10 minutes watching this fellow and trying to shove his face into the aphid feast, but he just wanted to hide under the leaf and take a nap! Maybe he’s a vegetarian?