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| Ladybugs released at the Mall of America |
(Scroll down for video) If you are not the type to like ladybugs we suggest you stay away from the Mall of America in Minnesota.
An army of 72,000 ladybugs have found their new home in the Mall of America, where commercial and entertainment center managers have released the insects inside the fully enclosed center.
The Bloomington, Minnesota mall, which is so large it could hold seven Yankee stadiums, also has more than 30,000 living plants, including about 400 trees, which act as natural air purifiers for the indoor mall.
Aphids, which are pesky insects that feed on plants, thrive within the commercial center as well as many gardens in the United States.
Aphids, however, have a natural enemy, ladybugs, family members of ladybird beetles, which are valued by gardeners for their habit of eating pests like aphids.
"Ladybugs are what I like to call, a kind of biological defense system,” Lydell Newby, the top executive of the United States environmental services, said.
The mall has released ladybugs in the past as an alternative to commercial pesticides.
Although some buyers have complained that ladybugs might fly into their food, the mall spokesperson said that the insects tend to spend their lives on plants, and not on human food.
“I like the idea of using a natural remedy to fight off pests rather than chemical pesticide. I am sure it is more healthy for everyone shopping at the mall,” Lavinia Kum, 30, of Saint Paul, Minnesota told YourJewishNews.com after learning about the ladybugs.
However, not everyone agreed with Kum.
“I will not go shopping at the Mall of America anytime soon because I hate those creepy little bugs and I do not wish to see them all around me,” Joana Hay, 41, of Saint Paul, Minnesota told YourJewishNews.com.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view