eChipmunks

Ladybugs are effective natural control agents against pest insects,?

but as gardeners soon find out, they do not reduce pest populations to zero because a. they can't fly to find pests on nearby plants. b. of their very selective feeding habits. c. to do so would jeopardize their own existence. d. they don't live long enough. e. their reproductive capacity is nonexistent.

Public Comments

1. I don't think any is totally correct although c is perhaps closest. As they eat the pests, there is less food so the ladybugs start to die off and so the pest population increases etc etc. If the pest population is totally destroyed all the lady bugs die or move away, new pests move in and ladybugs follow them. In both cases you move towards a fairly steady population of both predator and prey.