potato bug farm?

[picalowpiepi]

this got me curious, a lot of people breed mealworms by the millions, and hornworms by a little less, but what about potato bugs? are they hard to breed or something?

 

[lazy gardener]

Of course, Lots of back yard gardeners would love to have their own sustainable crop of Tomato Horn worms. I can see the headlines now. There could be a seasonal competition to see who can grow the largest horn worm, and who's horn worm could devour a tomato plant the quickest. Same with potato bugs. Perhaps release 10 bugs on each row of potatoes, and see which group of Potato bugs would breed fastest, creating the most eggs and larvae to defoliate the row. We have an annual black fly festival here in Maine. It's well attended. In addition to the touristy aspect of it, there is a grass roots movement to breed them bigger and better each year. http://www.trcmaine.org/blackfly