posted: Apr 10, 2009

We had some very welcome boarders this winter in the seed increase plot!  The snow has finally melted, mostly, and while walking the rows to check out the early spring progress we noticed bunches of ladybird beetles (ladybugs) amongst the Prairie smoke (<em>Geum triflorum</em>) and Tall cinquefoil (<em>Potentilla arguta</em>).  Ladybugs group up and find a sheltered spot under leaf litter, bark, rocks, or any other sheltered spot to spend the winter.  Then in the spring they disperse to find egg laying spots and to find food.  Ladybugs are beneficial insects during both the larval and adult phases of their life cycle.  They eat other insects that we see as pests such as aphids, mites, some scale species, and other insect eggs.



We are sure glad to see that we provided some ladybug habitat this winter and hope that they stick around through the summer.  Our natives don't suppport too many pest insects, however, aphids can be found on some species at low levels and we are happy to find the ladybugs feasting themselves.  Some ladybugs can eat hundreds of aphids per day!