Ladybug

Our catnip plant has contracted aphids. Horrible creatures, those. Since the primary use for the catnip is to intoxicate our Maximum Leader, we can't use the standard chemical weapons against these evil fiends. Instead, I opted for predatory overkill. I bought a container of live ladybugs, over 1500 of them according to the label, and dumped them on the little catnip plant. I then put a plastic box over the plant, but gave it plenty of open space on the bottom so air could get in, figuring only a few of the ladybugs would escape. I left the predators there for 36 hours. When I took the box off last night, there wasn't much left of the aphids. The ladybugs having done their work, were allowed to fly off as they pleased.

In the process of executing Operation: Kill Those Hideous Aphids With 1500 Ladybugs, I shot some pictures of my valiant army marching across the catnip plant. This one in particular struck me because of the contrasts and richness of the greens. I think it's worth clicking on the image for the bigger version. Enjoy!


Note to Tim Eisele: I linked to your ladybug category page, but I couldn't find anything on aphids. Did I miss it?