WHERE ARE ALL THE LADYBUGS?

(11/26/2007)

You may have wondered what happened to the ladybugs this year. Few have been seen swarming, seeking shelter in houses and buildings. The multicolored Asian Lady Beetles that plague people's lives are not as rampant this year. Officials say it is because of the dry spring and summer weather. Laura Millers of the state Department of Agriculture said "We haven't had very many calls this year, which is good for us. Now people are wondering why they are not here." "The reason is we've had, probably, the driest year I can remember. We had practically no rain in the spring or summer." "With a drought, plants suffer," she said. "Insects who feed on plants suffer. Insects who feed on insects suffer. It's a whole cycle." "I can't guarantee what will happen later," she said. "Some may still come around but not in the same numbers." They dwell in trees in the summer. When the leaves start to fall in the autumn, the species searches for warmth. They head for cracks and crevices to enter houses, with plans of remaining dormant there during the winter. However, the heat in the homes winds up stirring the insects and they start moving about. Last year, which was a wet, rainy one, West Virginia had a high population of ladybugs.

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