Ladybug farm at work on the Coastal Yellow Lupines

First the Coastal Yellow Lupines were gorgeous as they started to bloom.

But slowly and surely creepy aphids have arrived and multiplied on both lupine shrubs, sucking out the life juices of the leaves and branches.

Poor lupines, they are also starting to suffer from mildew.

But the trusty ladybugs are back at work, multiplying on the shrubs.

They eat the aphids, but look how large and plump the aphids are!

There is just no way the ladybugs can eat all these little monsters.

Here is a ladybug larva.

You can see the mildew on the lupine leaves.

And another ladybug larva in the next stage as it develops into the adult stage.