Oddities in farming

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

[Pat Riot, SASS #13748]

Very educational. Thanks Dave 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

When we bought out first home 1977 I planted roses all across the front (east) side...and promptly had the yard over run by aphids and other nasty critters.  I drove over to Armstrong's rose farm and asked a young fellow what I should do about the situation.  He suggested I buy lady bugs.   I told him I'd take about five pounds of them.

 

He looked over at my little Toyota coupe and told me I needed a bigger car.  When I looked startled he asked me if I had any idea hoe many lady bugs it takes to make up five pounds.  I ended up with a small Chinese take out size box with enough that my garden and my neighbor's garden both got bugged sufficiently.

 

Every year for the next 37 1/2 years I went back and ordered five pounds of lady bugs....and came away with this little 3/4 cup size box.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I know Amazon sells just about everything so sometimes I look it up to test that statement. Sho’ nuff, Amazon sells Lady Bugs. They don’t handle them themselves, just broker the deal, 3000 for under 12 bucks, delivery in about a week and returnable until Jan 31.

 

 

[Dusty Devil Dale]

A lot of the commercially available lady bugs are several Chinese species.  They feed on aphids, while they last, then turn and consume the vegetation you were protecting.  And they outcompete native Lady bug populations.