05-09-2004, 08:08 PM
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(Kandi) wrote in message . com...
My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my
yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started
cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an
enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2
little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all
over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as
they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining
sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is
overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am
you know, every spring I scrape the windows of my garage with the
edge of a square plastic pot, and collect tens of thousands of
ladybugs who overwinter in there and are ready to go. I then take the
pot outside and release them so they can do their thing. And of course
one of the things they do is control the bugs you have (you probably
meant them to be 2 mm long, because 2cm is close to an inch). I see no
soft-bodied insects anywhere, except in late october when the ladybugs
have already turned in for the season, and the aphids finally have a
way to attack my cabbages. Too late for this year, but you may
consider having one last try next spring, if food is abundant ladybugs
will stay and reproduce a few times in a single season. They should
substantially reduce the number of the red bugs.
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