Organic Warfare

Dad and Mongo live next to a nice couple who have an aipiary in their back yard.  Dad respects their efforts to raise bees, and aside from occasionally visiting Dad’s kitchen uninvited, the bees don’t cause any problems.

And the bees help pollinate Dad’s tomatoes, so they are generally welcomed visitors.  However, once again unwelcomed visitors, aphids (BOO!) had taken up residence on Dad’s tomato and basil plants.

So to do his part in helping his neighbors safely raise bees, and combat CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder), Dad decided to try organic pest control this year. He reasoned that it was better for the environment, and better for Mongo, who is known to eat anything he can fit down his gullet.  Dad was sure that pesticide coated vegetables would go down just as quick as anything else.

Dad had asked Ilex at https://midwesternplants.org/ about organic options to control aphids, and she had recommenced Lady Beetles.

So Dad ordered Lady Beetles over the internet.  (Amazing, you can buy almost anything on-line!)  He released them over much of July and August.

As soon as he shook the the first batch out from their travel bag, they started munching their way along the plant stems of Dad’s small garden as soon as they landed.  Of course, since he was shaking beetles out of a bag, he kept hearing the tune “Twist and Shout” playing over and over in his head.

Overall, the result has been very successful.  The Lady Beetles (YAY!) have kept the aphids (BOO!)  at bay, and the honeybees have been free to visit Dad’s yard without fear of pesticides.