Ladybugs used in place of insecticides

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Groundskeepers at New York City apartment complexes are using ladybugs as an alternative to chemical-based insecticides to manage their landscaped grounds.

Groundskeepers released 720,000 ladybugs over an 18-block area in an effort to control aphids, mites, and other unwanted pests, The New York Times reports.

The supplier of the ladybugs told the apartment buildings' owners the ladybugs would consume nearly 4.6 billion aphids per day.

Carl Keil, grounds manager at one of the facilities, said he was not concerned over upsetting the ecological balance. “I think they’ll just help them control the population,” Keil told the Times, referring to the aphid population.

New York City park officials echoed Keil.

“Besides being beautiful, ladybugs are also quite benign," said Warner Johnson, spokesman for the parks department.