I thought fall had finally arrived, but I was wrong. The leaves are changing and falling, but the weather is unchararistically warm. Today is in the mid-70's. First snow, then this. My crocus (crocii?) are getting ready to bloom.
And we have an infestation. An invasion. An all-out assault upon our house. The ladybugs are marching. They are swarming. They are doing whatever you would call an unholy number of them crawling over the plants and the sunny sides of our house. They are everywhere. A small platoon have made their way inside the house and are hanging out in the corners of my study. I'm not sure what to make of it. Perhaps the surprise of warm weather lured them out of winter hiding or hatched them. I'm not privy to the lives of ladybugs. I like them in my garden, but I don't particularly enjoy being pelted by the little beetles every time I walk out my front door. I find them in my hair, on my back, on the dogs' backs. They are everywhere.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Lady Bug, Lady Bug
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My ento friend Don says that ladybugs are not smart at all, and at whatever time of year they are looking for mates, they get inside the house and can't figure out how to get back out. Maybe that's what's going on. They can't figure out what they are doing there, or how to leave.
ReplyDeleteAnd they smell bad. Have you ever accidentally squished one? Blech.
ReplyDeleteI also want to know where they are in the summer when I have aphid infestations. Why are they waiting until November to come out of hiding?
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/news/1998/bugs.html
ReplyDeleteI asked Jeeves. They are looking for a place to hibernate.
That happens to us about once a year. Ech. Liz is right that they smell bad.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping not to smell them. They are indeed looking for a place to hibernate. It's funny that the article Laura found is from the Missouri Conservation Dept. My mother (who is still in my hometown in the middle of MO) says that they are swarming there as well. I guess we'll just have to wait for some cold weather.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder where they were all summer when I needed them in the garden.