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Japanese Farmers Just Got a New Pesticide: The Flightless Ladybug

posted by azrael on Thursday August 14 2014, @07:15PM   Printer-friendly
from the house-is-on-fire dept.

AnonTechie writes:

Ladybugs (Coccinellidae) can do the work that nasty chemicals used to. Researchers in Japan have discovered a way to selectively breed flightless ladybugs to be used as a "biopesticide" - a natural alternative to chemical pesticides.

Ladybugs have long been considered natural pest-control for gardens and crops, but their ability to fly away encouraged many agriculturalists to instead rely on chemical pesticides that are harmful to the environment. After several generations of being exposed to chemicals, many pests have also been known to develop pesticide resistance.

 
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  • (Score: 1) by richtopia on Thursday August 14 2014, @08:11PM

    by richtopia (3160) on Thursday August 14 2014, @08:11PM (#81429) Homepage Journal

    I seem to remember that lady bugs were just fine as a kid. Then, probably around 2002 in Michigan all of a sudden they started biting. I heard they were a different species from Japan. And they seemed to be everywhere when we were camping.