The saying goes, “Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home.” But a new program encourages ladybugs to fly away home – into you backyard. Any gardening expert will tell you that ladybugs are among the best natural pesticides because they prefer to munch on many crop-eating insects. But their species is in decline, and some ladybugs have vanished from their native areas. USA Today reports that scientists have launched a program to restore the ladybug to its rightful place-and the scientists are recruiting young school children to help the cause.Ladybugs are well-known worker bugs that feast on pests that like to eat corn, soybeans and other crops. Farmers invite them into their fields because the bugs greatly reduce the need for pesticides. Mike Catangui is an extension entomologist at South Dakota State University. As he told USA Today, “[Ladybugs] are cute and cuddly as adult insects, but they’re predators, make no mistake. There’s a big economic value of this. … They’re working-class bugs, but we don’t have to pay them.”But since the 1970s and ’80s, some species of ladybugs have been in rapid decline. They have virtually vanished from the Great Plains. But the Lost Ladybug Project out of South Dakota aims to get students involved in helping ladybugs regain their populations. This project is a nationwide search to find ladybugs and assist them to reproduce in a lab. Scientists hope that if they can replenish the ladybug populations in a lab, the bugs can safely return to their native lands. Focusing on three species of ladybugs – the nine-spotted or C9s, the transverse and the two-spotted-the Lost Ladybug Project encourages children all over the country to look for the insects in their backyards, parks and more.Further, scientists hope that the project will help answer why the ladybugs disappeared in the first place. Scientists suspect that an invasive beetle species imported from Europe and Asia is the culprit. John Losey is an associate professor at Cornell who co-founded the Lost Ladybug Project. As he told USA Today, “Once we know why they declined, we will be on our way to being able to help them and other species in the same predicament.”USA Today reports that the project, started in 2000, received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Originally, Cornell scientists partnered with 4-H cooperative extension master gardeners to study ladybugs in New York; later, South Dakota joined in. The project leaders estimate that current participation includes 2,127 people, including 1,075 children under the age of 14. Participants are asked to submit photographs and descriptions of found ladybugs at LostLadybugs.org.Katherine Butler is a regular contributor to the Mother Nature Network.Related Articles on Mother Nature Network:
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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A man asked how to be less scary to women and the Internet prescribed quality, empathetic tips
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