2009 Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz

Our community garden is participating in the 2009 “Buckeye Lady Beetle Blitz” sponsored by Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), in Wooster, Ohio.

 

This is a “Citizen Science” project that involves the collection of data from home and community flower and vegetable gardens by ordinary gardeners. The goal is to create a state-wide census of native and exotic (non-native) lady beetles.

 

Ladybugs, or lady beetles, are beneficial predators that feed on aphids and other soft-bodied pests. In Ohio, several exotic and native species are present. Exotic species were introduced into the United States, either intentionally to provide pest control or accidentally through international trade.

 

In recent years, many native Ohio lady beetles have declined. The loss of these species is detrimental to both biodiversity and pest control. By participating in the collection of lady beetle data, we are providing a crucial step in their conservation.  

                                                                                                                     

The data collection process is simple. For one week in June and another in August, a white post will be placed in the center of the garden. Attached to the post is a sticky yellow card which catches a variety of lady beetles, as well as other hapless insects. We have been reassured that hummingbirds are not dumb enough to fly into these traps.

 If you’re in the garden during a collection week, take a close look at the yellow card, and see what you can identify. The glue is a bit hard to wash off, so don’t touch the card!. At the end of each collection week, the card will be sent to the OARDC lab in Wooster, insects and all.

 

This is a chance to put our church on the map in a new way.  Our address will become one of many data points from all over the state. As the study progresses throughout the summer and fall, we will be able to see our own lady beetle data online, as well as how it fits into the larger Ohio picture. If the study is successful this summer, we will be asked to participate again next year.

 

For more information on this Citizen Science project, check out ladybeetles.osu.edu.

 

Anne Sanford