Leduc’s Communities in Bloom Committee for the past five years has arranged for the release of thousands of ladybugs into Leduc city’s environment. On Tuesday, June 23 the committee arrange for grade one and two students from East Elementary School and from Linsford Park School to join with them in releasing over 9,000 Ladybugs.
The students from East Elementary, with the help of city councilor Dave MacKenzie released 4,500 near the shores of Telford Lake while city councilor Dana Smith assisted the students from Linsford Park at the Fred John Park in the releasing of the other 4,500 Ladybugs.
Prior to the release committee member Marilyn Jenzen explained to the students the reason why Ladybugs are so important to the environment with their capability to ingest up to 50 aphids a day and over 50,000 during their lifetime. Students were shown the various stages of a ladybug’s life and some interesting facts on how they protect themselves from predators.
Then each student had an opportunity to hold a number of ladybugs and take them to nearby trees and bushes to be released. One particular Ladybug seemed to like the students more than the trees and continued to fly back to a student. He/she quickly got the name Larry and was eventually convinced that a tree was a better environment than a student’s arm, or head, or chest.