Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
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It wasn't all that long ago that Minnesota's Mall of America was inundated with thousands of these bugs!

In fact, it was just a little over a year ago that thousands of bugs descended on MOA in Bloomington. But it was an infestation they didn't welcome; there was no frantic calls placed to pest removal companies.

That's because they were ladybugs that were released into the mall-- on purpose, as part of an Earth Day celebration. So what's up the all the bugs? Well, according to this KARE-11 story, the ladybugs act as goodwill ambassadors at  MOA and actually help maintain the plants throughout the mall-- without using pesticides.

Last year's Earth Day release at Nickelodeon Universe involved roughly 75,000 ladybugs, and is part of a tradition that dates back 27 years to when the Mall first opened in 1992. The story quoted Jill Renslow, a senior VP of development at the Mall who explained that the bugs have an important purpose.

"We do it a few times a year based upon when we need it. The ladybugs work as a natural pesticide for our 30,000 plants inside MOA," Renslow said in the story. So, yeah, bugs invaded MOA, alright-- but it was a good thing!

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