BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (April 20, 2017) – Mall of America® released 75,000 ladybugs throughout the 30,000 live plants on property in honor of Earth Day. With the help of local children from community partners like Fraser Minnesota, Children's Minnesota and Girl Scouts of America, the ladybugs were placed on the plants, acting as a natural form of pesticide by eating common pests found on plants such as aphids.

The ladybugs are released at Mall of America during a few select times throughout the year as needed.
Mall of America is committed to green design and “lives green” 365 days a year to reduce waste and improve efficiencies in its operations. In addition to the use of natural pesticides on its 30,000 live plants, the Mall incorporates other environmentally friendly elements such as:

• Recycling more than 60 percent of waste
• Not using a central heating system; instead, the comfortable 70 degrees is maintained year-round with passive solar energy from 1.2 miles of skylights and heat generated from store fixtures and lighting and the body heat from more than 40 million visitors
• Converts the fat from restaurant fryers into more than 4,000 pounds of biodiesel per month
• Recycling more than 2,400 tons of food waste to a local hog farm  Installing more than 5,400 LED bulbs in parking ramps, spanning more than 2.2 million square feet and reducing energy costs by two-thirds

ABOUT MALL OF AMERICA®
Mall of America (MOA) is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America. At 5.6 million square feet, MOA boasts more than 520 world-class retail stores and restaurants; Nickelodeon Universe, the nation's largest indoor family theme park featuring 27 rides; SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, home to sharks, stingrays and an amazing underwater tunnel; FlyOver America a 4D immersive flight adventure; Crayola Experience; Rainforest Café; Hard Rock Café; the nation's longest indoor zip line and an 18-hole mini golf course.

The Mall, a top American tourist and vacation destination, opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and adjacent to the MSP International Airport. Mall of America hosts more than 400 events annually, including concerts, book signings, celebrity meet-and-greets and community-focused cultural events. The Mall is also home to a 500-room Radisson Blu hotel, a 342-room JW Marriott hotel; office tower; grand entrance and more. Follow Mall of America on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and visit our blog. Download the Mall of America app from the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.

###