About 50,000 ladybugs were released in downtown Victoria this morning to help the city fight pests.
Approximately 150,000 ladybugs will protect Victoria gardens from pests like aphids, beetle larvae and spider mites this summer.
Environmental field technician Michael Wilson with the city of Victoria says they try to control pests naturally without the use of pesticides.
Wilson says they release ladybugs every year, and it takes 2-3 weeks to release the entire load.
It is expected the released ladybugs will mate and lay eggs in the next few weeks.
Their offspring will eat up to 50 aphids per day while adult ladybugs will eat 5 to 10 aphids per day.
Victoria residents can attract ladybugs to their yard by planting umbrella-shaped flowers that are high in nectar and pollen such as geraniums, cosmos, and coreopsis, and herbs such as cilantro, dill and fennel.
Ladybugs are also attracted to vegetables such as potatoes and cabbage.
Watch: Ladybugs to the rescue
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