A study from Michigan State University has shown the benefits of insect predators to arable farmers and horticulturists and the need to support populations of these insects. Researchers at the University have called for farmers to work cooperatively to support ladybird populations.  

Ladybirds and similar predatory insects, which prey on insect pests such as aphids in farmland ecosystems, have been shown to save farmers in the United States an estimated $4.6 billion (£2.9bn) each year on pesticides.

Studies have demonstrated that effectively supporting these insects by planting strips of flowers along the borders of crop fields can boost the resilience of farmland ecosystems. However, following a study by Michigan State University researchers which showed the health of the surrounding countryside may have an even greater effect on predatory insect populations, the study’s co-author Megan Woltz last week called for farmers to work together to protect insect populations and for policy to facilitate this.

Expounding on the results of her team’s study, Woltz cautioned that “Creating predator-attracting habitats next to crops is only a partial solution; Ladybugs and many other pest-eating insects travel long distances throughout the growing season, sometimes flying or crawling over many miles as they search for food and shelter. So we also have to consider what resources are available to these predators at larger scales.”

According to researchers, the natural habitat available in the 1.5 miles surrounding farmland can have an effect on ladybird populations. Healthy grassland and forest ecosystems within the surrounding area were shown to be more important in determining ladybird populations in fields than flowering borders.

As such large areas typically encompass multiple farms, the researchers have suggested that rural neighbours will need to work together to support ladybird populations.

In previous studies, landscapes with at least 20 percent of non-crop habitat showed good pest control. The researchers estimate that, if farmers and their neighbours each provide some habitat on their farms and the surrounding properties, the combined effect would create benefits for ladybird populations.

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