August 27, 2008
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are beetles that are about 1/4" long. They are most often brightly colored and have a variable number and pattern of spots on their backs. The orange-red colored, nine-spotted ladybug is New York State's official insect. Once a common sight throughout the state, this native species of ladybug is now very rare, having been replaced by introduced exotic ladybugs.
Ladybugs are highly regarded as one of our most beneficial insects because they feed on pest aphids, with adult ladybugs consuming as many as 100 aphids each day. Often, ladybugs will look for place to spend the winter inside your home, congregating in groups on walls. Superstitions and folk lore told of ladybugs' supernatural powers and warned that to kill one was unlucky, and to release one brought good luck.
Send us an e-mail and tell us what you think about Outdoor Discovery.
Family Fun
Ladybug Hunt
Aphids are small plant-eating insects that feast on a variety of different vegetation, and ladybugs eat aphids. To help control the aphid population and save our crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a plan in the 1940s. Most of our crops like soybean, alfalfa and wheat, along with many fruits and vegetables, originally came from foreign countries. Even our worst pests are non-native species. What better way to protect foreign crops from foreign pests than to bring in foreign ladybugs! Unfortunately, over the last decade, our native ladybug-the nine-spotted ladybug-has been disappearing. So while the foreign ladybugs are helping to protect our crops, are they hurting the nine-spotted ladybug? Scientists at Cornell need your help to find out. To participate in the Lost Ladybug Project, go outside and collect some ladybugs. Take lots of pictures of the ladybugs that you find. Send the digital photos, along with the time, date, location and type of habitat to Cornell. Remember to let the ladybugs go once you have taken their picture.
Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home
Ladybugs are a great addition to any garden. Harvest time is almost here for many late-season vegetables, so give some ladybugs a home in your garden. Rinse out a cardboard milk or orange juice container and cut a flap on one long side by cutting around three sides. Fold open this "door" and cut several ½"-wide slits parallel to the ground as access points for the ladybugs. Now take some sandpaper and glue it to the walls of the inside of the container so that the ladybugs will have something to grab onto. (You can reach the inside of the container through the door you created.) Decorate your ladybug house with stickers, contact paper or paint. Close the door and tape it shut, making sure that the slits are parallel to the ground. Tape the house to a sturdy garden stake about one foot off the ground and wait for the ladybugs to fly away into their new home.
Check out Conservationist for Kids for more information and activities!
Upcoming DEC Events
Long Island
Fall North Shore Beach Fishing Clinic
Tuesday, September 2 from 5:00 PM until dark
Cedar Beach Pier, Mount Sinai
*Registration is required. Fall is one of the best times to fish on Long Island. Come learn the basics about surfcasting, such as casting techniques, lure selection and safety. Open fishing to follow. Age: 14 and up. Event Limit: 30 participants. For more information, visit the I Fish NY website. To register, please call Malynda Nichol at 631-444-0283.
Children's Saltwater Clinic
Saturday, September 6 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Jones Beach State Park, Field 10 Fishing Piers
*Registration is required. Beginning anglers will learn basic fishing techniques, fishing regulations, fish biology and marine ecology. Open fishing will follow. Loaner rods and free bait are available at every event! Age: Children under 14. Cost: $8 parking fee; free with Empire Passport. Event Limit: 100 children. For more information, visit the I Fish NY website. To register, please call Malynda Nichol at 631-444-0283.
Hudson Valley
Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
Bye, Bye Birdies!
Saturday, August 30 at 10:00 AM
Join a naturalist for a birdwalk to wish early migrants, like the hummingbird and barn swallow, a safe journey south.
Back-to-School Nature Discovery Program
Saturday, September 6 at 2:00 PM
This is a great opportunity for parents and children to spend some "quality time" in the woods together. Enjoy a family scavenger hunt, nature games and more.
Capital Region
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
Monarchs and Migrants
Saturday, September 6 at 2:00 PM
A walk to look for signs of the beautiful monarch butterfly and other migrating wildlife.
Central New York
Rogers Environmental Education Center
Gorge Exploration
Saturday, August 30 at 10:00 AM
Explore Sherburne's Rexford Falls and learn about gorge geology and ecology by taking a look at plants, fossils, micro-climates and the power of water. Some steep trail sections. Sturdy footwear required. Please call 607-674-4017 to register.
Canoe/Kayak Lake Moraine
Saturday, September 6 from 8:30 AM to Noon
Paddle around this sizable body of water that is rich in plant and animal life. Registration is required: 607-674-4017. Cost: $5 non-refundable fee due at registration. Meet in the main parking lot to car pool.
Western New York
Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center
Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959.
Fall Fruits and Flowers
Saturday, September 6 at 10:30 AM
Discover the bounty of the woods, and see what's blooming in the fall.
Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State
Subscribe to the Conservationist magazine- New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles.