Thursday, October 16, 2008

Ladybug, Ladybug!



Ladybug, Ladybug,
Fly away home;
Your house is on fire
And your children will burn.



Unfortunately, ladybugs from all over seem to be treating our house as a refugee center. It happens every fall -- they come crawling out of the insulation and nooks and crannies everywhere. They swarm to light and heat -- making cooking hazardous, to say the least. (They taste really awful, so you learn to keep cook pots covered.)



Out of the walls they emerge
Drawn by an autumnal urge;
A buggy battalion appears
And, just as in previous years --

They're on your screens!
They're in your jeans!
They're on the floor!
Look out! There're more!

They're in your food--
How very rude!
They're in your glass . . .
This, too, shall pass.




Thanks to Liz for this link to more info about these critters. Note that they are beneficial and eat aphids.
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2 comments:

Susan M. Bell said...

You sure got better ladybug pictures than I did.

My first "ladybug season" in the mountains really surprised me. I had never seen so many of those things on one place. Now it's just an autumn routine.

Unknown said...

Vicki - I'm pretty sure those are Asian Lady Beetles - different from regular Ladybugs - these actually bite and give off a nasty odor/stain when they are threatened. see this link for more info: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/asianladybeetle.html