Ladybugs and Aphids

Several years ago when we were still in Hartley, I went out to get in the van and it was covered with what looked like clear Karo syrup. I had no idea what it was. Our van sat in the driveway under a fairly large black walnut tree. But what in the world was that sticky substance? Was it something from the tree?

I wasted no time getting to the car wash and then I called the garden center in Spencer. He had the cause right on the tip of his tongue.

"You have aphids and the syrup is their honeydew, their poop if you will," he said.

Oh, that was wonderful.

"What can I do about it? Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Yes, there is. We have a product here that you mix with water and pour it in the soil under the tree. The tree takes it up and the aphids will be gone," he said.

I went over and bought a jug of the stuff and brought it home. I read the directions and looked over the situation. The tree was on the alley side of the driveway and it hung over the driveway. Taking that all into consideration, I came to the conclusion that the jug of juice wouldn't do me much good. There was no way the tree could get enough of it, and besides, it was very pricey.

So I did what I should have done in the first place. I Googled "aphids in my black walnut tree." Several sites came up, all said the same thing – get some ladybugs. They will eat the aphids. Problem solved. So I went to, where else? Amazon, and they had ladybugs by the thousands in a box they would send you, for a price of course. I sent for something like 10,000 of the little buggers. If I remember it cost me about $30. (And yes, I took the jug back and they returned my money).

They came in the mail a few days later, during which time I did not park my van under the tree. I followed the directions on the box that evening and by morning the ladies had crawled out of the box and presumably into the tree. As many as there were I couldn't see them. I had to have faith that they were up there doing their job. I waited a few days and then parked my van under the tree overnight. The next morning when I went out to check there was not a drop of the honeydew on my van.

I thought we'd have a huge population of ladybugs in the flowerbed, but no such thing occurred. I don't know where they went but I was a happy camper. They had done their job.

Janet Branson is a former resident of Hartley, having lived here for over 40 years. Her husband was pastor of the Baptist Church and she was a school cook for 27 years. They now live in Adrian, Minn., where Bruce is pastor of First Baptist Church.