The Rural Voice, 2002-05, Page 41insects that damage crops and trees.
The preferred food is aphids and
scale insects, of which there have
been outbreaks recently affecting
soybeans and fruit trees.
The Asian soybean aphids caught
area farmers off guard with their
arrival in Ontario during the last
growing season. They are the only
species to colonize soybeans,
reproducing quickly to create
massive populations, which feed on
plant juices.
This feeding activity deprives
the plant of nutrients. But that
is only one way in which the
aphids harm the soybeans. A flow of
plant fluids onto the leaf supports
mold growth which interferes with
photosynthesis. Also the insects carry
a soybean virus and current
insecticide treatments have not been
a practical solution.
The lady beetles, while their
impact is still in the evaluation stage,
offer biological control of the aphids.
"I would imagine that for anyone
t "Wolu d` imagine
'that fpr anyone `
n an hin
�
sffeis .from
aphic'c amage, the
04, beetles are
welcome.
;
growing anything that suffers from
aphid damage, the lady beetles are
welcome."
Now that spring is here, however,
homeowners are being invaded by
the beetles which are awakening
from hibernation. Marshall said the
beetles though generally harmless
will nip, under "unusual
circumstances."
"The lady beetle density is so high
they are everywhere, not only
chewing on an unknown quantity and
diversity of insects but also, and
abnormally, nipping at the people
they land on."
Also, if squashed the blood causes
discolouring.
Vacuuming is the best way to get
rid of them, Marshall said, "though I
can't imagine why you would want
to." An alterative, he suggests is to
find the way they are getting into
your home and block it.0
We
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NOM 2T0
MAY 2002 37