Title

Ladybugs in the garden

Relevance

The Ladybugs and Garden-Based Learning project (directed by Dr. John E. Losey, Cornell Department of Entomology) has multiple objectives that are aimed at promoting the conservation of ladybugs, which are important beneficial insects that play a crucial role in pollination and pest control in gardens and agricultural fields. The need for this project arises from the fact that the populations of ladybugs, particularly the rare nine-spotted ladybug, have been declining in recent years due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and other factors.The project's first objective is to educate adult gardeners and families on how to attract more ladybugs and other beneficial insects to their gardens through garden events, workshops, and educational materials presented at regional hubs across New York. By providing information on ladybug-friendly garden management practices, the project aims to create habitats that are conducive to ladybug survival and reproduction.The second objective is to cultivate communication skills among Master Gardeners to facilitate youth engagement in ladybug garden projects. By empowering Master Gardeners with communication skills, the project aims to inspire and motivate young people to participate in ladybug conservation activities, such as ladybug releases and garden design and management.In the final year of the project, the team was able to make substantial progress on all objectives despite limitations imposed by the pandemic. They presented live tours and open gardens to educate about ladybug-friendly management, conducted nine-spot ladybug releases, and provided educational materials on the design and management of gardens to attract ladybugs. They also leveraged digital communication platforms to reach a wider audience and expanded the scope and reach of their outreach and educational programs.Overall, the Ladybugs and Garden-Based Learning project is important because it promotes the conservation of beneficial insects that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and sustainable agriculture. By educating people on ladybug-friendly garden management practices and providing resources for ladybug conservation activities, the project aims to create a network of advocates for ladybug conservation that can help reverse the decline in ladybug populations.

Response

The Ladybugs and Garden-Based Learning project aimed to educate adult gardeners and families on how to attract more ladybugs and other beneficial insects to their gardens and to cultivate communication skills among Master Gardeners to facilitate youth engagement in ladybug garden projects. In the final year of the project, substantial progress was made on all objectives, despite limitations on in-person events due to safety concerns.The project team used a range of communication modalities, including remote presentations, interviews with public figures, webinars, and printed materials, to educate and engage with audiences. These efforts resulted in a broad reach and engagement with a diverse range of audiences, including international subscribers to Sirius satellite radio and visitors to the American Museum of Natural History.The project team also successfully conducted ladybug releases, with over 1,000 ladybugs shipped to over 20 collaborators in 10 counties in New York. These releases were designed to maximize the probability of successful establishment, and ladybugs were observed foraging in all locations immediately after release, indicating the potential for local establishment of this rare, protected species.Overall, the Ladybugs and Garden-Based Learning project made progress towards its objectives through a combination of education, outreach, and hands-on activities. By engaging with diverse audiences and providing resources and tools for successful ladybug management, the project helped promote the conservation and preservation of this important insect species.Details included:1.Present live tours or open-gardens to educate about ladybug-friendly management We did present at live tours or releases, but we reached a very large audience with a set of remote presentations across a range of venues. One venue with international scope was an interview with Senator Bill Bradley on American Voices, a broad-ranging program broadcast over Sirius/XM satellite radio. The segment entitled Searching for the Lost LadyBug was first broadcast on June 19th 2022 and in addition to the conservation with Senator Bradley it featured recordings we made of a ladybug safari in the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Sirius radio reaches over 34 million subscribers and is this episode is available free through the programs website (starting at minute 27:32) [https://soundcloud.com/billbradley/a-high-school-travel-club-plus-searching-for-the-lost-ladybug?fbclid=IwAR2fx6Vz1-K9QHcxexBz5u-GyC_okGVUd5d8JATUF3FJ0Irt8kyEOb71gVI]. Presentations for this project were also made at The 2022 IPM Annual Conference - Biological Control: Partners in the Garden (March 15); American Solar Grazing Association monthly webinar [on managing vegetation around solar arrays on farms to attract and nurture ladybugs] (June 1); NYS IPMs Whats Bugging You First Friday series - Do's and Don'ts for ladybugs in the garden (August 5). 2.Conduct nine-spot ladybug releases We shipped over 1,000 ladybugs to over 20 collaborators in 10 counties in New York Each shipment contained at least 30 adult beetles with approximately even numbers of males and females. The shift to adult beetles with an even sex ration was initiated in fiscal year 2022 because literature and our own observations suggested these changes would maximize the probability of successful establishment. Our more than 500 release participants represented a variety of ages and backgrounds. Ladybugs were observed foraging in all locations immediately after release and days later in several locations indicating the potential for local establishment of this rare, protected species. 3.Provide educational materials on design and management of gardens to attract ladybugs In September of 2021 we provided live nine-spotted ladybugs (to be photographed) and developed requested educational material for an exhibit entitled Extinct and Endangered Insects being developed by the American Museum of Natural History. We continued to work with them to develop materials through till the opening of the exhibit which we attended in 2022. In addition to the thousands of visitors to the exhibit that access the material on ladybugs we developed at the AMNH exhibit, the contents have been released so it can be exhibited at other museums and venues all over the world. Beyond these exhibits, components of the content have been released as a movie and published as a large-scale coffee table book. In 2020 and 2021 we shipped 1000s of copies of printed materials to collaborators including; mini-posters with information and pictures of local ladybugs, bookmarks with ladybug images, and half-sheets describing best practices for successful ladybug releases. We reallocated resources towards release of more adult ladybugs in 2022, but all these resources are available for download and printing on the Lost Ladybug Project website.

Results

Both qualitative comments and quantitative data demonstrate that our target audience increased in both engagement and understanding through our program. Recent research has demonstrated that a diverse complex of predators including ladybugs are most effective at limiting pest populations. Unfortunately, many of our native ladybug species, including the New York state insect, the nine-spotted ladybug, Coccinella novemnotata, have rapidly declined. Reintroducing this valuable, protected ladybug has economic benefits by reducing losses from insect pests, environmental benefits by reducing the use of pesticides, and perhaps most important social/psychological benefits of providing an opportunity to have a positive interaction with a beneficial insect. In 2020 and 2021 many released ladybugs were found (and photographed!) well after they were released which implies, they may establish new populations but the greatest benefit of the program may be an improved understanding and appreciation for the beneficial insects like predators and pollinators that are essential for producing plants on farms or in gardens. In 2022, we established the first dedicated Ladybug Farm on Cornell land in Freeville, NY to raise the rare nine-spotted lady beetle on a scale beyond any previous attempts anywhere in the world. We also released ladybugs into the habitats we manage and measure around solar panels as part of a Department of Energy project. In both cases, we observed feeding and reproduction, the surest signs that the habitats are acceptable. We shared the excitement of these breakthroughs with followers of the project and the public through expanded use of Facebook and twitter. Evaluation Approaches/Methods and Results: Throughout the span of this program, pandemic considerations limited direct contacts and we did not conduct a formal evaluation. However, we received feedback from many of the organizers and participants in release events. In addition, Dr. Elizabeth Lamb (NYSIPM), reported that the participants of the Annual IPM Conference were formally evaluated and that 61% reported that their knowledge on ladybugs increased substantially.

Public Value Statement

The Ladybugs and Garden-Based Learning project aimed to educate adult gardeners and families on how to attract more ladybugs and other beneficial insects to their gardens and to cultivate communication skills among Master Gardeners to facilitate youth engagement in ladybug garden projects. The project team used a range of communication modalities, including remote presentations, interviews with public figures, webinars, and printed materials, to educate and engage with audiences. The project team also successfully conducted ladybug releases, with over 1,000 ladybugs shipped to over 20 collaborators in 10 counties in New York. The project made progress towards its objectives through a combination of education, outreach, and hands-on activities. By engaging with diverse audiences and providing resources and tools for successful ladybug management, the project helped promote the conservation and preservation of this important insect species. The project also had economic, environmental, and social/psychological benefits by reducing losses from insect pests, reducing the use of pesticides, and providing an opportunity to have a positive interaction with a beneficial insect.

Primary Focus Area

Environmental Stewardship

Secondary Focus Area

Agricultural Systems

Impact Statement