Ladybugs

This week the Redwood Sustainable Agriculture class was able to get a week of good weather which allowed us to be able to spend class on the farm preparing for spring. The good weather brought out several ladybugs on to our bell beans and other plants that were having pest problems. Ladybugs are a beneficial companion on our garden and eat many smaller insects that are pests to our garden. They are attracted to aphid infested plants with moisture and our garden at the moment is a great area for them to stay. The main prey or food of the ladybug is aphids and their eggs. One lady bug can eat over 5000 aphids in their life time and be a great way to reduce these negative insects. Ladybugs also eat on scales, mealybugs and other parasitic pests like white flies that are known to negatively affect plants. Having ladybugs in your garden is a great way to reduce these pests without the use of pesticides, which is something we try and do on the farm. These little red bugs are one of the most beloved insects of gardeners and farmers who do not use pesticides and this is why we try to encourage and support them on our farm.

-Cole Rehm