Where have All The Lightning Bugs gone? And Why so many lady bigs?
By April
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
United States
June 21, 2007 12:22am CST
When i was little, we always caught lightning bugs by the lots..it was every night..and there were thousands and thousands of them.,and it was very rare that you found a lady bug..it was good luck if you caught one..Now..like 30 years later..i have a son hes 5 soon and we have been going out at night the last couple years and there have ben few and fewer lightning bugs..we are lucky if we find one!! But..we have lady bugs like crazy..and now to the point of infesting our homes..whast the deal? did the lady;s eat all the lightnings bugs? lol..I dont get it..does anyone else noticed this or is it just where i am in Pennsylvania? Or is theer something else weird hapopening at your neck of the woods? like to many or dissapeared bugs,reptiels..ets?
5 people like this
12 responses
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Those are more than likely not lady bugs. They are probably Japanese beetles. Less dots than a ladybug. These invade homes and hibernate throuigh the winter in houses and or garages. Here in Minnesota we still have a lot of lightening bugs but not as many as years past. Maybe the japanese beetles are eating the lightening bugs.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
21 Jun 07
hiya there...they have just as many dots on them..but some are orange and red in color..its just weird.,.they arent anywhere in teh winter..but here in the summer and spring.,.sometimes fall they invade the ceilings..all over..and thats what im starting to think..the lightnings are getting ate!! lol!
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
21 Jun 07
The Japanese beetles wander into the rafters of homes
and garages when it's cool outside. Then when the sun
warms them up they swarm out like crazy.
2 people like this
@wrdsofwisdm (1069)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Here in Illinois we still have lightning bugs, but I have noticed that there are more of them in towns that have more open fields and wildlife. I too remember seeing lots of them all over the place on warm summer nights when I was younger. As for the lady bugs...many people order them for their gardens to eat aphids and then end up with half of them in their homes. I've seen more of the orange ones than the pretty red ones I grew up with. The orange ones are called Asian lady beetles and love to get indoors.
2 people like this
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
21 Jun 07
hello there and thanks for the great information..theer are alot of the orange ones..they are a pain lol..and i live as high in the mountains and far away from civilization..and lots of forest around me..so they should be around..but alas no fun bugs lol..and maybe we are right..it hink the ladybugs are a killin my fun bugs..and they need to stop nowww! lol lol..thanks for posting have a good day!
2 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
21 Jun 07
I have wondered the same thing. I do know that they are not ladybugs, they are a type of beetle. Our newspaper told had an article about it when they started infesting our homes. If you kill them they have a terrible odor. We see very few lightening bugs at all anymore. We are in Ohio. Not sure where they went.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
21 Jun 07
We have lightning bugs here. Every night before I go to sleep I gaze out the window to watch them dancing in the air. Love to watch them. We have seen ladybugs too.
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
21 Jun 07
You know you are right. There used to be way more lighting bugs years ago. I remember running outside when I was a little girl and thinking they were "tinkerbells" and other little fairies. It was always so magical!
My boys used to catch them in my cannnig jars. but that was a few years ago too. Now you've made me wonder what's happened to them all.
I must add though that the number of ladybugs in my area has not increased very much. I don't mind them anyway. They are great garden friends.
@joey_matthews (8354)
•
21 Jun 07
Lady Bugs = Lady Birds?
Well I've never seen a lightening bug or at least that I am aware of. I'd prefer seeing more lady bugs, over here recently there's been a new type which are bigger and they eat the ones my wife and I like.
Horrible things...
~Joey
2 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
22 Jul 07
At my house in upstate NY we have both and plenty of them both- My house has tons of lady bugs- My daughter loves them- I suck them up in the vacuum cleaner and then let them out outside- we also go out almost every night in the summer to catch lightning bugs! it's so much fun- I don't think the lady bugs eat lightning bugs LOL
@mommy20212004 (350)
• United States
23 Jul 07
I was actually wondering this same thing on the 4th of July. My husband and I were driving home from a fireworks display and we seen a whole bunch of lightening bugs in this wooded area on the side of the highway. I found myself wondering why there aren't any around our house. I would love to bring my kids outside to catch them in jars like I used to do when I was little, but there aren't any around to catch. Not to mention the amount of mosquitoes running around just waiting to chew us up when we step outside our door.
@sunkissed (4330)
• United States
6 Jul 07
I used to love to catch lightning bugs when I was a child, we would put them in a jar with some grass, and put holes in the lid. Put them on our dresser and watch them all night. I still have quit a few lightning bugs here in Arkansas, Me and my granddaughter try to catch them every now and then. But it is hardrer and harder to catch them. And we have lady bugs like cray too. I have the red ones and also the orange ones.
1 person likes this
@sunkissed (4330)
• United States
29 Oct 07
Thank You once again for best response, and reminding me of the good old days!!
