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The Food for Thought Regional Advertising Group is sponsoring a summer of Ladybug Release events at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
Each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Brookfield Zoo staff will release nearly 10,000 ladybugs as a learning opportunity for children and other zoo guests.
The releases happen in front of the Hamill Family Play Zoo, and are designed specifically for families with children, to help them learn about insects. During this summer’s ladybug release events, Farm Bureau will be the primary sponsor of the ladybug releases events. The zoo staff will talk to children about agriculture in Illinois and the connection between ladybugs and agriculture.
There are approximately 39 ladybug release events throughout the summer, which equates to just under 400,000 ladybugs being released, and countless opportunities to educate young minds and eager parents about helpful insects and agriculture in Illinois.
Test your ladybug knowledge:
Q: How did ladybugs get their name?
A: Ladybugs actually got their name because of aphid consumption on flax crops in the Middle Ages. The bug is called a ladybug because farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help and when the beneficial ladybugs showed up, in answer to their prayers they assumed, they were called our lady’s bug or ladybug as we say today.
–Tom Turpin, Entomologist, Purdue University
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