So far as buying bugs goes, ladybugs are pretty inexpensive. Should you be interested, you can find them for sale at Amazon. I found a batch of 4,500 live ladybugs there for only $30.00. That’s a pretty good deal—less than a penny a bug.
Well over 20 years ago, before
biological control of weeds was a big thing, I connected with an entomologist
in Bozeman. At the time, he was experimenting
with (and breeding) a couple smallish beetle species that attacked diffuse and
spotted knapweed. Way back then, I sometimes
purchased beetles from him at the astonishingly steep price of $1.00 each.
One of the beetles attacked the
root of the weeds. The other beetle ate the seeds from the flower
heads before they matured. I was curious
about the effectiveness of such biological control. Surprisingly, the beetles performed well in
controlling the diffuse knapweed on my lake property.
Ladybugs are beneficial, too. They hunt down and eat insect pests such as aphids and they stay on task day after day. Best of all, they are cheap.
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