Monday Memories: Toledo enlisted 3 million ladybugs to battle scale bugs in 1974

Scale bugs are the bane of silver maple trees, burrowing into the base of twigs to drink the liquid, eventually killing the limb. Expensive pesticides could be used to control the pests, but in the ‘70s, the city decided to deploy a cheap natural predator, the whimsical-looking ladybug. The ladybugs devour the bugs, decimating the pest population. In this Blade archive photo, Adam Green and Erica Benjamin, dressed as ladybugs, open a bag full of the insects, preparing to release them near some trees. For that years’ ladybug campaign, the city purchased 3 million bugs at $10 a gallon from a farm in Rough and Ready, Calif. City forestry officials said that was a fraction of the $4,600 it would have cost over two months for two-man crews, machinery and insecticides to eradicate the infestation. Go to thebladevault.com/memories to purchase more historical photos taken by our award-winning staff of photographers, past and present, or to purchase combinations of stories and photos.