Aphids are here!

Oh, my friends, they come in on the wind and they attack our roses with reckless abandon. Just a few nights ago, I was inspecting my roses for aphids and didn't find a single one. Then this morning, they were covered! I went to Armstrong this morning to see what new flowers I could find and purchased a carton of ladybugs since they happened to have them. I was concerned that they'd all fly away since I didn't have any aphids yet, but I think ours will be sticking around for a while. Ladybugs are the number one organic defense against aphids. Now I admit that I've been impatient in the past. I've purchased ladybugs and then sprayed a few days later out of desperation. Of course, the spray will kill everything, not just your bad bugs. I have also sprayed first and then bought ladybugs later. It is important not to do that! The spray (or certainly a systemic insecticide, if you choose that kind) will seep into the leaves. Once the ladybugs eat the poisoned leaves, they'll die. This year, I am committed to giving my ladybugs a chance to thrive on my bugs. We'll be releasing them tomorrow morning before church, which I think my children will love. I hope to come home to feasting ladybugs!

On a side note, my photography has now been outsourced to my husband, who seems to have a wonderful knack for this close-up sort of thing. Thank you, honey :)