Jul 3, 2009 10:59 am US/Mountain
Aspen Beekeeper Unleashes Ladybugs On Aphids
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) ―
An Aspen beekeeper has released 140,000 ladybugs to attack an aphid infestation plaguing the city's cottonwood trees.
Ginger Janssen released the bugs Thursday and plans to release 280,000 more in the next two weeks. She says she paid about $150 for them.
Janssen says ladybugs are an environmentally friendly alternative to insecticides that city officials are using.
She says insecticides are responsible for a collapse of bee colonies around the world. She worries her bees will be affected because they use cottonwood sap to seal their hives.
City Forester Chris Forman likes the idea of ladybugs but isn't sure they alone can get the job done.
Earthwise Horticulture, the company hired by the city to administer the insecticides, says using them responsibly minimizes the impact on other organisms.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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