LADYBUG SIGHTINGS - Welcome Back

(10/21/2011)

An area house recently bombarded by the creatures By Dianne Weaver It is that time of year again, the return of the ladybugs. They will swarm above the meadows and thousands upon thousands dive-bomb sunlit surfaces. The pests (actually Asian Lady Beetles) will be bombarding area houses and buildings, seeking their chance of finding winter security before the onset of colder weather. While a few sections are spared from the onslaught, the bugs seek cracks to infiltrate buildings, where they lodge for the winter to return to the outside in Spring to pro-create. Thousands of the bugs will have a "flight of freedom" inside houses as winter progresses, creating havoc to homeowners. There is prevention by spraying annually, which many homeowners do to keep the bugs from entering. Here in downtown Hur we sprayed, so tens of thousands of the bugs die when they try to enter the house, their carcases reposing in piles around the dwelling. The bugs, which some "experts" say are harmless, do cause some allergy problems and they'll eat the paste under wall covering, causing it to drop to the floor. Otherwise, they're lodged in the attic, crawl spaces, hiding behind pictures, resting in boxes, behind wall covering and cabinets. Testing patience is when they flock toward window sunlight or drop themselves into a bowl of soup. One flew in my ear a few years ago, which my neighbor cautiously retrieved with tweezers. The fluttering creature caused considerable panic. So, as fall approaches, welcome back ladybugs, a gift from the federal government.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001