Is there anything more frustrating than seeing your beloved house plant overrun with aphids? Although it might be most people’s first instinct to go to a nursery and buy something to get rid of these pests, the answer could be in your backyard. Ladybugs have an insatiable appetite for pesky insects. While they work diligently to consume as many aphids as possible, the beetles face a looming threat: insecticide. These substances are not only taking over ladybugs’ work as natural pest controllers, but killing them.
With 5 000 species of ladybug worldwide, their numbers are declining. Insecticides are indiscriminate killers with the only goal to exterminate insects, including helpful ones like ladybugs. Two million tonnes of pesticide are used globally every year, and ladybugs are dying as a result of direct poisoning or from the loss of their main source of food.
To avoid the damaging impact of pesticides, there needs to be an alternative measure for farmers who rely on fruitful crops for their livelihood. In the cotton fields of China, studies have shown the capabilities of ladybugs for pest control in favour of poison. These beetles eat 75 aphids a day, and 1 000 ladybugs is the equivalent of 0.7 kilograms of pesticide. For farmers wanting to use natural methods, ladybugs are both cheap and effective. The insects also improve the health of gardens, and can be attracted by aromatic plants like chives, fennel, and cosmos.
As they maintain the balance of insects, ladybugs play a vital role in protecting plants and crops. The war against pesticides may be ongoing, but there’s no better way to fight it than to employ nature’s pesticide to do the job it was born to.
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