Parks & Recreation News
Monday, June 23, 2008LADYBUGS TO ASSIST HORTICULTURE CREW
LAWRENCE –With the on-going effort to reduce the amount of pesticides used in park areas, Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department will call upon an insect to assist in its fight against pests like aphids and mites. What insect? The ladybug – 18,000 of them to be exact.
Tuesday evening, June 24, at dusk, sometime after 8 p.m., Parks and Recreation staff will release the ladybugs at several locations, including the Union Pacific Depot, Buford Watson, Jr. Park and locations along Massachusetts Street in Downtown Lawrence. Last week, the department released a batch of ladybugs Downtown as a pest control measure.
DUE TO A DELAY IN SHIPING, THE LADY BUG RELEASE WILL BE DONE AT DUSK, THURSDAY EVENING.
While there isn’t a major aphid problem now, this new method is being tested is to eliminate the threat of pests harming flowers like zinnias and cupheas.
Once released, the ladybugs will crawl into plants, flowers and shrubs in search of insects whose smell attracts them. A ladybug can eat up to 50 pests a day, plus insect eggs.
Crystal Miles, horticulture manager, purchased the ladybugs online from a natural garden company in Bozeman, Mont. The company ships the ladybugs in mesh bags filled with wood shavings that allow for an easy release of the ladybugs.
The ladybugs are being released in the evening to ensure they remain in the area where pests are located.
For more information, contact Miles at (785) 832-7970.
Prepared by Roger Steinbrock, 785-832-3458
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