ACWORTH - Jessica Logan, a horticulture student at Chattahoochee Technical College in Acworth, cares about plants, which explains her course of study.

But she also cares about bugs, particularly ladybugs, and she wants everyone else to as well. With spring in full bloom, Logan urges people with gardens and backyards to be kind to ladybugs because they're allies and not the enemy.

In a CTC horticultural blog, Logan explained why ladybugs are important to our ecosystem. The blog is at: www.ctchorticulture .blogspot.com.

"Ladybugs are considered beneficial insects because they eat the bad guys! They eat aphids, mites and scale insects - all of which are harmful to our gardens and crops," she wrote.

"If you're spraying for insects in your garden you may want to think twice. Nearly any pesticide you spray is going to kill all bugs. This includes all the good guys; ladybugs are especially sensitive to pesticides. If you leave them to it, your ladybugs and other good guys will probably keep your pest populations under control."

Logan noted that there are many species of ladybugs, or lady beetles, and nearly all are considered beneficial insects. The hundreds of varieties range from red and shiny to plain brown ones.

As beneficial insects, ladybugs are categorized with well-known insects, such as flower pollinating bees and butterflies, that help us in some way, according to the University of Georgia College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences.

In fact, Steve Brady of UGA's Cobb Extension Office, said ladybugs do such a good job of controlling the populations of pests like whiteflies and some mealybugs, that they can eliminate the need for chemical spray.

"So the benefit is having those guys around to keep the bad guys below a threshold where you don't need to spray," he said. Brady also noted that it's important to be able to identify ladybug larvae so as not to harm it.

Having no ladybugs around will only make your pest problem worse, said Jennifer McCoy, Cobb Water System environmental programs coordinator.

Outside the system's training laboratory is a rain garden established in 2004 at the corner of South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road in Marietta for public use. Besides reducing outdoor water usage, rain gardens require less maintenance and fewer chemicals than lawns. On sunny days, it's not uncommon to see ladybugs roaming around the one outside the laboratory.

"You see them in the mulch, on the plants, tree trunks and just out," McCoy said.

In conclusion, wrote Logan, "Don't kill ladybugs! Instead of using a chemical spray, use beneficial insects to control your pest insect populations. And lastly, if you purchase them try to find a native species."