Ladybug invasion! They're swarming!!!
By mentalward
@mentalward (14690)
United States
October 22, 2009 12:44pm CST
We have what looks to be thousands of ladybugs swarming around our house. Several have managed to get inside the house. I learned that they generally swarm like this when the weather warms up after a cold spell. Well, it has warmed up here after a cold spell and they're being true to their nature! I can't walk from my house to my car, or vice versa, without at least a half-dozen flying right into me.
They are sweet little bugs but so annoying when they swarm like this. Is this happening to you? Has it happened to you in years past?
I never saw them swarm like this before moving to this house. Maybe it's because I never lived in the country before, I can't say. When we came to look at this house before we bought it, there were dead ladybugs all over the place inside. I mean, there were hundreds of these little dead bugs in every single room of this house! It did clue me in to the fact that we'd probably have trouble with the little bugs but it was quite amazing to see them swarming outside!
If you have experienced this, how did you react the first time?
6 people like this
17 responses
@enola1692 (3323)
• United States
24 Oct 09
It did happen to me once when we first moved to SC around the fall we had high ceilings an my daughters shared the upper bedroom an they both love ladybugs an they both yell mom come here I went upstairs an they said look thats good luck ? an I looked up thier ceiling was covered my youngest daughter was trying to catch them to put them outside she never did catch them we have been here 3 years an that was the only time it has happen but I think my daughter was right it was a sign of good luck
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
23 Oct 09
The are probably not ladybugs, but a type of beetle. We had them here a couple of years ago. They look like a laybug, but don't smash them because they really stink. No one had any advice of how to get rid of them either.
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
23 Oct 09
These really are ladybugs. It was ironic but, the day I noticed the swarming, I also saw an article about them on MSN's home page. They were saying that the ladybug infestation is particularly bad this year. They also said that the best way to get rid of them is to suck them up in a vacuum cleaner and discard them outside. I'll be doing just that! LOL
I certainly don't mind them being outside because they eat bad bugs, and we have plenty of those! I don't even mind them coming inside, as long as they don't bring their entire family. They drive my dogs nuts, though. It's so funny to watch them when they find one within their reach. They "nose" it, pushing it with their noses for awhile, then finally chomp down on them unless they get distracted by something else. (They usually end up spitting them out... guess they don't taste good, either!)
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
23 Oct 09
Are you sure the ladybugs are destroying the grape crops? They eat other bugs, bugs that destroy crops. We can even buy ladybugs for our gardens from some nurseries! The grapes may have had aphids or some other small bugs eating them and the ladybugs were there to munch on the other bugs.
I've never heard of them eating crops. They are supposed to bring "good luck" if you see one in your house. I must have exceptionally good luck coming my way for so many to come inside each year! LOL We don't get nearly as many coming inside as we saw before we bought the place, probably because I keep the screens in the window until really cold weather sets in.
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
17 Nov 09
I have only seen this kinda swarming on TV. Those discovery channels show everything!
I guess from a photographer's point of view, it would be pretty! The bugs in clusters everywhere are good material for the lens!
But in reality, isn't it annoying to have bugs all over the place?
Are they a nuisance?
Do they bite?
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
25 Oct 09
Hey there Marti!! Oh I so love ladybugs!! My brother hates them because where he used to live, the ladybugs would find their way inside and bite him.... or so he says. He said they came in droves every year and had to fight them like mad to get rid of them. I hated it when knowing he was doing that because I loved ladybugs since my grandfather gave me that nickname when I was just a tiny thing.
Do you know how ladybugs came about? It's a very interesting story and it makes me feel all the more special. They came from the Virgin Mother of Jesus. The farmers in Europe where overwhelmed with aphids and cried out to Mother Mary for help and she send them ladybugs to eat the aphids and saved the farmers crops.
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
22 Oct 09
not lady bugs, but we have had some cricket swarms - so bad you are "rained" on by crickets driving down the street and can hear them crunch under the tires of your car
it was during one of those cricket swarms that I finally discovered something about those grackles I liked - they ate them!
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
23 Oct 09
I know ladybugs are popular jewelry peice believe it or not, at least on ebay I collect bug brooches and lady bugs always are hard to big low on. Yea, i did experience this! The other day me and my girls walked out and yes it was after a cold spell ( I didnt know this) and their were lady bugs flying onto us and I don't remember thinking too much of it. We live at an apartment and so far none have gotten in (maybe one or two this week nothing extreme, I let them back out). I remember last year I took my daughter for a walk and we walked by this one house with this enormous tree and I happened to notice these black bugs crawling EVERYWHERE under it and we sat there just watching them for a good 15 minutes I had no idea what they were. It wasn't until we visited one toy store that had those bug houses out in front of the register that I saw it was the same bug and they turned into ladybugs,lol! I was like, OOo, awww they turn into cute ladybugs.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Oct 09
hi mentalward as a farmer's daughter I would react with glee'as if there is that many ladybugs something close by,trees or plants are covered with aphids and the ladybugs thrive on aphids. also if the ladybugs eat the aphids that will probably save the life of the trees or plants that aphids feed on.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
23 Oct 09
Wow...I’ve never of heard of a ladybug invasion! I see so few around here and when I do I usually take it to show my little girl who loves them. It is so hard to imagine an infestation of them! It sounds like a seasonal problem and I don’t know how you would get rid of them. In our family my sister and I were often told that finding ladybugs was good luck; if that is true, you must have a big lottery win or something coming your way!
@defcon505 (919)
• United States
23 Oct 09
Oh my god! That's terrible. Did you called the verminators?
@goldiegold (285)
•
23 Oct 09
Okay I'm not sure why but I thought that ladybugs were die-ing out... I probably just made that up in my head but I'm sure I heard that in the news once.
I have never seen ladybugs swarm, I have only seen one or two at the most at a time. They are really cute but I'm not sure I'd like them swarming around the place.
@sender621 (14889)
• United States
23 Oct 09
I know what you mean. I have never seen as many ladybugs as I have seen this year. We have even found some inside the house such as you did. It doesn't seem possible, but it does happen. The more ladybugs that are disposed of, the more they seem to multiply. My ladybug situation seems very mild compared to your though. Good luck with your ladybug epidemic!
@SallyAnna (142)
• United States
23 Oct 09
Hi Mentalward,
I've seen bees,gnats and those huge grasshoper type things but, never ladybugs. I like ladybugs not sure I could handle a swam of them, I think I would run just to keep from being coverd with the ladybugs. Also for me they would lose their cuteness pretty fast. I would want them away from my home but, what could you do except wait it out.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Oct 09
I have not seen many about any more for the last few Years I love Lady Birds but I never used to get them in the House, it is sad that there are not so many about any more send me some please they can come and live here
I have never seen them in Crowds either just on the Flowers one by one
@elitess (5070)
• Ipswich, England
22 Oct 09
Hi there Mental Ward my friend.
To be honest i like the little buggers, and they are my girlfriend's favorite insect, but we do get something similar, but lesser in volume in the summer - when we are at her parents house, every morning we wake up and have about a dozen in the bowl of water we keep on the heater.
