LADYBUGS - ARMED AND DEADLY

Posted on 01 August 2013 at 15:37

The ladybugs have come to save the day for thousands of flowers in Central Park. I was reading the morning Wall Street Journal newspaper today and I came across an article that just planted a big cheesy grin on my face.

I was happy and honestly surprised that we are finally taking a more natural and ecologically friendly approach to pest control in one of the largest parks in New York City, Central Park.

At some point during this past week a group of individuals from the Central Park Conservancy opened up two mesh bags, releasing over 140,000 brightly colored ladybugs into the park.

The reason for the release is to ultimately solve the pest problem with the winged-insects, aphids, also known as plant lice; these sap-sucking insects are usually bright green in color and are the worst enemies of farmers because they destroy plants and flowers.

Luckily we have chosen a more organic form of pest control. Even though insecticide is still used in the park, it is very rare.

Now the ladybugs released may not all stay, because they are placed in artificial habitats before being released into the parks.

However, one of the key representatives for Central Park Conservancy, Maria Hernandez, believes not all will leave, some will stay to feed on the aphids and reproduce; thus, the offspring will adapt to the NY climate and continue feeding on the destructive aphids.

All in all, this approach is definitely more acceptable through my eyes as opposed to packing chemical pesticides and insecticides, and I’m sure everyone’s lungs and health can agree.

If all parks and farmers adapted this natural approach to crops and flowers, we would not have to worry about the damage of insecticides for our health or the chemically pumped produce and food we ingest from our local supermarkets, ultimately making our population a lot healthier; but I am not entirely unreasonable and I do understand that money drives change, especially when it comes to farming.

Due to this approach, the gorgeous plants and flowers in Central Park continue to thrive as tourists and locals from all over the world gaze at their beauty, mesmerized.

About the author

Hello, my name is Mariam. I love flowers and plants. Read my blog posts about what I consider the biggest beauty of the world. Plants are important because they are responsible for the presence of oxygen, which is a gas that is needed by plants and other organisms to breathe.…