Thousands of ladybugs released in Regina thanks to annual event

The City of Regina held its annual ladybug release on July 10, 2025. (Mick Favel/CTV News)

Hundreds of children and their guardians gathered at Victoria Park for the City of Regina’s annual ladybug release event Thursday.

The city provided 200,000 ladybugs to attendees with the purpose of spreading the insects across Regina.

The polka dot patterned bugs are known for their appetite for aphids and other garden pests.

“We want people to appreciate the insect and understand why they are an important part of our urban forest,” said Veronica Schroder, the coordinator of forestry, pest and horticulture for the city.

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Before the ladybugs were handed over to attendees, an education session was held to explain how and where to place the bugs.

The city hopes to use the bugs in green spaces as a natural predator in green spaces instead of chemical pesticides.

“We need spaces like these in order to facilitate events that are special like this,” Mayor Chad Bachynski explained. “We need to look after our spaces, because we need them. Our community needs them.”

The ladybugs are originally from California. They were provided to residents by Natural Insect Control out of Ontario.