They’re Back! Lady Beetles on the Breaking Ground Green Roof
Asian Lady Beetle
Today’s is just a short post to say how happy we are to see the lady bugs (lady beetles) return to the Breaking Ground green roof after the winter months. They were apparently drawn by dinner….aphids! Some of the remaining mustard green plants are being allowed to go to seed so that we can collect the seeds and replant later, and they seem to have fallen victim to aphids. But not to worry. If you remember in our post of June, 2011, we were an incubator for lady beetles coming to clear the roof of aphids that came to settle on our green bean plants. Nature takes care of herself.
In addition to the lady bugs, I have also witnessed the return of the Black Swallowtail butterfly, the Gulf Fritillary butterfly, honey bees, carpenter bees and a green tree frog. Just yesterday, a butterfly landed on my arm as if to say, “Don’t worry. The roof is alive and well!” And it is. We have strawberries growing, flowers germinating and grasses regenerating. Stay tuned for posts about spring time on the roof. In the meantime, here are a few more photos of our lady bug friends. Enjoy!