[NatureNS] lady bugs

DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws;
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:22:28 -0300
From: "Suzanne Townsend" <suzanne.townsend@gmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <cdbbab570710190615x65ed9665m4689ecc39c40139@mail.gmail.com>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
------=_Part_11972_13971123.1193077348240
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

Ladybugs have invaded Boutiliers Pt today.

  & excuse me but getting rid of earthworms is the funniest thing I've heard
of since that dancing cockatoo! Is there really such a thing as too many? in
a garden? in the dirt outside I mean?




On 10/22/07, David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Randy Lauff wrote:
>
> > Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Beetles (Harmonia axyridis)
> >
> >
> >
> > "They don't seem to do any obvious harm in the house."
> >
> > "Some of them get inside and when I'm there I dutifully collect them
> > and release them in the greenhouse where I hope they can put a dent in
> > the whitefly population..."
> >
> >
> >
> > Harm in the house...no...dent in the whitefly population, perhaps.
> > Cause a catastophic decline in our native species' numbers...isn't
> > this one of the foreign culprits that could be responsible?
> >
> Hi Randy & All,            Oct 22, 2007
>    So far as I am aware, the notion that introduced Coccinellids were
> responsible for the decline in native Coccinellids is unproven. My
> sublimital impression drawn from  observing or collecting beetles over a
> period of 47 years is that natives, never abundant in my memory,
> declined before the introduced became numerous. Aphids in good years
> used to be abundant. Now, aphids in good years are still abundant.
>
>    The rather large land-use changes that took place during this period
> include, loss of hedgerows and stone fences as fields were enlarged,
> loss of headlands as tractors replaced horses, replacement of semi-wild
> pastures by plowed and seeded pastures (this implies loss of rotting
> stumps, brush piles and a host of pasture weeds including woody
> perennials), replacement of wooden sheds and wooden barns having stone
> foundations/blocks and usually earth below with less hospitable farm
> buildings on concrete floors, invasion of forest, stream and farmland by
> town folk, often with just-so sprayed lawns, sprayed gardens, lights and
> bug zappers, introduction of broad spectrum  insecticides which for some
> years were over-used, control of field-edge and roadside weeds using
> herbicide sprays, replacement of mowing natural meadows in late summer
> followed by 2 months pasture by pasturing all summer and better control
> of potential prey and weeds (both potential supports for prey and
> sources of pollen or nectar) in agricultural crops and progressive
> de-watering of landscapes as highways were widened and suburbs extended.
>
>    The rural landscape in 1940 had more in common with the 1890
> landscape than with the 1990 landscape and with change there are bound
> to be winners and losers.
>
> >
> >
> > When they're in such large, accessible numbers, I'd take the
> > opportunity to destroy them. When I look at the choice between my
> > garden and nature as a whole, nature wins. And yes, I remove
> > earthworms from my garden, too. And I have a wonderful garden. There
> > is no need for for foreign species assistance in gardening, not at the
> > risk of the loss of natives.






> >
>    If you wish to let nature win in your garden should you not just
> leave it alone and let Spruce trees and Alder bushes take over ?
>
>    Gitting rid of the effects of earthworms implies more than evicting
> them. Depending on the profile there could be primary biopores made by
> earthworms and secondary associated biopores down to 3 metres so it
> could take some time.
>
>    Introduced plants and animals are also part of nature. That passage
> from The Ancient Mariner I think says it best; 'He prayeth best, who
> loveth best All things both great and small;'.
>
> Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
>
> >
> > Randy
> > _________________________________
> > RF Lauff
> > Way in the boonies of
> > Antigonish County, NS.
> >
>
>
>

------=_Part_11972_13971123.1193077348240
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

<div>Ladybugs have invaded Boutiliers Pt today.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>&amp; excuse me but getting rid of earthworms is the funniest thing I&#39;ve heard of since that dancing cockatoo! Is there really such a thing as too many? in a garden? in the dirt outside I mean?</div></div>&nbsp;</div>
</div>
<div><br><br>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/22/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">David &amp; Alison Webster</b> &lt;dwebster@glinx.com&gt; wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><br><br>Randy Lauff wrote:<br><br>&gt; Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Beetles (Harmonia axyridis)<br>&gt;<br>
&gt;<br>&gt;<br>&gt; &quot;They don&#39;t seem to do any obvious harm in the house.&quot;<br>&gt;<br>&gt; &quot;Some of them get inside and when I&#39;m there I dutifully collect them<br>&gt; and release them in the greenhouse where I hope they can put a dent in
<br>&gt; the whitefly population...&quot;<br>&gt;<br>&gt;<br>&gt;<br>&gt; Harm in the house...no...dent in the whitefly population, perhaps.<br>&gt; Cause a catastophic decline in our native species&#39; numbers...isn&#39;t
<br>&gt; this one of the foreign culprits that could be responsible?<br>&gt;<br>Hi Randy &amp; All,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oct 22, 2007<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; So far as I am aware, the notion that introduced Coccinellids were<br>responsible for the decline in native Coccinellids is unproven. My
<br>sublimital impression drawn from&nbsp;&nbsp;observing or collecting beetles over a<br>period of 47 years is that natives, never abundant in my memory,<br>declined before the introduced became numerous. Aphids in good years<br>used to be abundant. Now, aphids in good years are still abundant.
<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp; The rather large land-use changes that took place during this period<br>include, loss of hedg