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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> </div> <div> <div> <div> <div>& 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?</div></div> </div> </div> <div><br><br> </div> <div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/22/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">David & Alison Webster</b> <dwebster@glinx.com> 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>> Multicoloured Asian Ladybird Beetles (Harmonia axyridis)<br>><br> ><br>><br>> "They don't seem to do any obvious harm in the house."<br>><br>> "Some of them get inside and when I'm there I dutifully collect them<br>> and release them in the greenhouse where I hope they can put a dent in <br>> the whitefly population..."<br>><br>><br>><br>> Harm in the house...no...dent in the whitefly population, perhaps.<br>> Cause a catastophic decline in our native species' numbers...isn't <br>> this one of the foreign culprits that could be responsible?<br>><br>Hi Randy & All, Oct 22, 2007<br> 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 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> The rather large land-use changes that took place during this period<br>include, loss of hedg