Lady Bugs Rescue Prospect Park Flowers From Imminent Death

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — When a murderous gang of plant-killing lace bugs reeked havoc on Prospect Park's beloved asters, park officials knew it was time to send in the ladies.

A team of more than 72,000 lady bugs were shipped into Prospect Park last summer to rescue the flowering plants from a potentially deadly infestation of lace bugs, Prospect Park Alliance officials said.

“We noticed that the asters were dying,” said Allie Loux, Prospect Park Alliance Assistant Gardener at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside.

“We did our research," added LJ Philp, Alliance Lead Gardener at Lakeside. "And ladybugs seemed like a great fit."

Park officials first became suspicious in July, when they found sinister dots on the purple flowering plants, which were turning yellow and brown.

Investigators soon discovered minuscule lace bugs feeding off the leaves of the Lakeside’s aster plants, which they noted, "can spell disaster for plants."

The Prospect Park Alliance team were at a loss because while they wanted the lace fiends gone, they did not want to blast the bugs with noxious fumes.

“When we use toxic chemicals, it’s getting in the air, in the water, harming our bodies as well as the animals and the plants," said Loux.

"Maybe a pesticide will get rid of the lace bugs, but it will also probably kill something else.”

That's when the team made the bold decision to turn to a "natural predator."

"Introducing ladybugs, an insect not found in great quantities in the park, could be a tactic for managing the lace bug infestation while avoiding harmful chemicals," said Philp. “We decided to give it a try.”

Park officials spent a whopping $150 on 72,000 lady bugs which were dispatched across the park to patrol for prey.

Headquarters, cardboard boxes covered in honey, provided the ladies a "safe place" to rest and revive between bouts of battling the dreaded lace bugs, Philp said.

“It worked!" Philp said. "The infestation had cleared and the asters revived."

Prospect Park Alliance thanked the lady bugs in official notice on their website, and compared their competent handling of a deadly (plant) situation to that of the Prospect Park goats who successfully combatted goutweed.

Photo courtesy of David McNew/Getty Images