The ladybug saves

1992/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Nekazaritza

Annual vegetable lice to the floral park of the forest of Vincennes, located east of Paris. To address this problem, park directors have just opened a center for the growth of the ladybug. These animals, along with the cucuruchos and sirfidos, are the main enemies of plant lice.

The center has 100 square meters and three thermally insulated sections. It contains the necessary tools for the growth of a ladybug type, Coccinella septempuntata. These animals when they reach maturity are left loose to attack plant lice. This controls the population of this type of lice and reduces their damage. This pathway is used as an alternative to pesticides in the United States and Japan.

To date more than 100,000 ladybugs have been released in some banks in Paris and, according to entomologists, we will have to continue this way until the plant lice completely disappear.

Although the size of plant lice is 2 mm, they attack the plant to capture the elaborate sap of the place.

To cope with this attack a number of chemicals have been used, but as these also affect other insects, the natural balance changes.

Therefore, it is increasingly common for experts to consider biological control more appropriate than chemical attack. At this time Vincennes entomatologists, on the one hand want to grow the type of ladybug Cryptolemus to control the cucuruchos and on the other, want to grow the mite Phytoseiulus to fight the red spider.