Last week in Victoria Park the City of Regina invited residents out to help release 250,000 ladybugs into the trees in the park. Apparently, ladybugs love to gorge on aphids. One ladybug can consume 5,000 over the course of a lifetime, however that long may be. You’d think eating that many aphids would take it’s toll on a body, but I’ve never seen an overweight ladybug, ever!
Next year I might do the same with my trees, although I think 250,00o might be pushing it. Every year around this time I hop into my vehicle that is covered with blue crap. I run through more washer fluid just clearing my window of that stuff than I do for any other reason.
I didn’t know what exactly was causing that until I read a City of Regina media release a few weeks back that pegged the aphid as the culprit. I knew it was coming from the trees, but I never realized those little critters could team up to cause such a mess!
You can actually go online and buy live ladybugs. You can order 1,000 of those cute little saviours from Costco for $21.99! There must be actual “ladybug farms” out there! Wow. I’ve met a lot of people in my life, but I must admit I’ve never run across anyone who works in that business.
As cute as they are, I certainly wouldn’t want to drop that container somewhere between your mailbox and the back door.
So, there’s your lesson for the day. If you, like me, are tired of aphid poop all over your nice vehicle, go online and take care of that problem with a couple thousand ladybugs!
