# Ladybugs



## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

I have discovered that my house seems to be infested with Ladybugs.  Has anyone else ever suffered this sort of infestation?  They are rather cute and they don't bite, but I thought it was a bit strange.  One of them even fell into the spaghetti pot.  I felt kind of bad about that.  Should I do anything about this?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

They are looking for Droids too! 

I've read about it (believe it or not, one of my hobbies is photography of insects). It is a natural behavior, not something horror movie-ish. Ladybugs congregate in big clumps in cold climes, looking for protected or sunny places to warm up, and your house unfortunately qualified. They send out chemical signals telling others of their species "come on in, the water's fine!" so this may continue if something isn't done, maybe even next year. People who sell the beetles as natural pest control (not really a good idea, by the way) seek out natural places where this happens so they can scoop them up and sell them.

As to your problem, I don't have specific knowledge or experience of when this happens outside natural settings, but this web page seems reasonable and is consistent with what I"ve read. In short, she recommends leaving them along if you can deal with it, or alternately using a shop vac.

http://www.ladybuglady.com/infestation.htm

I've gotta admit that if they were in my house, I'd probably go with the shop vac, but you run the risk of them staining things.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Hehe, it's never happened to me, but I've heard about it happening to others before! I believe they congregate indoors in groups during the winter because it gets too cold outside. Not sure if there's much you can do about it, except wait until it gets warmer... 

Oh, Hooded Claw posted right before me, but my sister has a sort of vacuum thing that sucks up bugs, but doesn't kill them. If you want them out but don't want to kill them, I suppose you could suck them all up and put them outside to go find somewhere else to live.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Ummm... they're good for gardens at least?  Some people spend good money to get themselves a congregation of ladybugs!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

In honor of Brendan's predicament, I gathered up some of my ladybug photos and posted them in the photo forum here:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,48701.0.html


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

You guys are the bestest.  Going right now to look at pics, Mr. Claw.  I knew that someone on here would know all about it.  I've got some reading to do.  I don't want to hurt them.  They are one of the few insects that I truly respect even though I know all of them are probably necessary somehow.  I can't find where they are congregating, but I know there must be a glob of them somewhere out of sight.  Thanks Mr Claw, Miss Billings and Miss Shcerkekndageder.   I'll keep you posted (pardon the pun) if I start growing antennae or developing spots on my wings.


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## Barbiedull (Jul 13, 2010)

The Hooded Claw said:


> In honor of Brendan's predicament, I gathered up some of my ladybug photos and posted them in the photo forum here:
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,48701.0.html


Beautiful pictures Mr. Claw.


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

in Germany, lady bugs are considered good luck


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2011)

I reallllly thought this was going to be about the Rodney Dangerfield movie.


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home...

Incredible pictures, Mr. Claw!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

If they are the orange ones, they are likely the Asian Lady Beetle. They are a pest. We had about two years of bad infestation of these in northern Illinois several years back, but I haven't seen that many of them in the last couple of years. They were everywhere, and they were dead all over the house as well.


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## vikingwarrior22 (May 25, 2009)

mamiller said:


> Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home...
> 
> Incredible pictures, Mr. Claw!


ladybug ladeebug fly away home dim cows is in de corn and de pig ain't home...


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> If they are the orange ones, they are likely the Asian Lady Beetle. They are a pest. We had about two years of bad infestation of these in northern Illinois several years back, but I haven't seen that many of them in the last couple of years. They were everywhere, and they were dead all over the house as well.


I did find some faded ones and a friend told me that they lose their color and their spots when they get old (sounds familiar). I'm a little worried about the stains someone mentioned below. What kind of stains? Do they spill their wine on the carpet? Should I look for the nest, or what? And should we call someone for VikingWarrior and have him committed?


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Alle Meine Entchen said:


> in Germany, lady bugs are considered good luck


I've heard this too!



The Hooded Claw said:


> In honor of Brendan's predicament, I gathered up some of my ladybug photos and posted them in the photo forum here:
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,48701.0.html


Great shots, sir! 

Maybe you could train them... Like a flea circus, but waaaaaaaaaaaay cooler...


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

I've heard of infestations, but have so far not experienced this. I've also heard they were good luck and I love Syria's idea of training them. Dance, ladybugs, dance.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

LCEvans said:


> I've heard of infestations, but have so far not experienced this. I've also heard they were good luck and I love Syria's idea of training them. Dance, ladybugs, dance.


Great Idea! I need tiny tutus. Where do we find them?


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## vikingwarrior22 (May 25, 2009)

Me and my crew were down in South America and we came accross a passel of sloths s l o w d a n c i n g...


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I was the one that mentioned stains.  When ladybugs feel threatened, one of their defenses is to release a little bit of their blood.this makes them unappetizing to natural predators.  I've experienced this when handling them.

The article I linked to in an earlier post says that this bleeding can create stains that are difficult or impossible to remove if they do it indoors while they are on your furniture or clothing.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Egad! I didn't even know that they had blood.  I've got to stop this crazy posting and go read that article.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Most of what I'm seeing is saying that if you only see a few, the best thing to do is to leave them be, especially since the stress of trying to get rid of them will cause them to do their bleeding defense thing.  It sounds like they are attracted to light colored houses with a clear southwestern sun exposure and they congregate under the siding during the summer.  During the winter they're attracted inside for warmth to hibernate, so they shouldn't be all that active and are living off their own fat reserves... though it does sound like they'd be attracted to water since they need humidity and heated houses tend to be dry which will cause them to die without hydration (could be why one ended up in your spaghetti).

There's some sort of black light box trap thing you can use that sounds fairly friendly.  I guess they're attracted to the black light and you can trap them and let them loose somewhere else.  Besides that, the only thing I saw to get rid of them is a vacuum which seems a bit cruel.  But yeah, if they aren't too bad in terms of numbers it sounds like it's best to leave them be.  When it heats up outside again they'll leave of their own volition.  Plus once they get loose they feed on insect pests, so always a good thing to have in your yard.


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> though it does sound like they'd be attracted to water since they need humidity and heated houses tend to be dry which will cause them to die without hydration (could be why one ended up in your spaghetti).
> 
> There's some sort of black light box trap thing you can use that sounds fairly friendly. I guess they're attracted to the black light and you can trap them and let them loose somewhere else.


_"Black Lights and Spaghetti: A Tale of Too Many Ladybugs"_ Sounds like a delightful novel I'd read! I command thee*! WRITE THIS STORY ANON! 

*I'm referring to ALL of you writer-types.


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## swolf (Jun 21, 2010)

Brendan Carroll said:


> One of them even fell into the spaghetti pot. I felt kind of bad about that. Should I do anything about this?


I'm probably a day late with this advice, but yeah, you should take it out.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

swolf said:


> I'm probably a day late with this advice, but yeah, you should take it out.


I'd eat it. Might add a little *crunch* 

Also the link Hooded Claw linked to strangely mentioned they're not poisonous to humans, so uh, go ahead and munch on them if you want?


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

swolf said:


> I'm probably a day late with this advice, but yeah, you should take it out.


Thanks, guy! I ate the Ladybug, but she had a little metal thermos with her. I had to throw that out.



Scheherazade said:


> Most of what I'm seeing is saying that if you only see a few, the best thing to do is to leave them be, especially since the stress of trying to get rid of them will cause them to do their bleeding defense thing. It sounds like they are attracted to light colored houses with a clear southwestern sun exposure and they congregate under the siding during the summer. During the winter they're attracted inside for warmth to hibernate, so they shouldn't be all that active and are living off their own fat reserves... though it does sound like they'd be attracted to water since they need humidity and heated houses tend to be dry which will cause them to die without hydration (could be why one ended up in your spaghetti).


My house meets everyone of these requirements. I didn't know I was a prime candidate for Ladybug invasion. I wouldn't want to put the fellas out in the freezing cold, so I guess I'll let them stay. As long as I don't have to share my spaghetti with them.

And to Miss Syria, I'm on it. I'm on it anon. Vampire Ladybugs suck aphids' necks in a gruesome frenzy of green and yellow bloodlust.


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

*Party at Brendan Carroll's house!!*


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## Brianna Lee McKenzie (Jan 9, 2011)

mamiller said:


> *Party at Brendan Carroll's house!!*


So Cute... 

Catch a Shooting Star

Ripple Effect
Both also available on Amazon UK


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

I do know how troublesome an insect infestation can be, but somehow a horde of ladybugs sounds so... _cute_. I'm sure it really isn't when they're everywhere in the house, but still... it's hard not to smile at this.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Horde of ladybugs... looks a bit like a pomegranate. And this video does prove it could be worse.


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Holy moly! What a video! Yeesh!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Thanks, Rory. I'll remember that about the vacuum cleaner. 


Syria Says... said:


> Holy moly! What a video! Yeesh!


Ditto, ditto, ditto!

@Shcerrdaddze: Now you've got me horrified! What if I wake up and look like that tree?!! 

Oh, BTW, I've only seen one today and it was on the ceiling, Rory. My daughter was visiting last week and she's a little skittish at times. She has long fingernails. So she was sitting on the sofa, studying her notebook intensely when suddenly she started flailing around, shouting and wiggling and generally scaring the Bejesus out of me. Problem? Ladybug under the fingernail. 

@Miss Susanne in VA. Cute? Well, they are sort of cute, but not in the spaghetti.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

vikingwarrior22 said:


> Me and my crew were down in South America and we came accross a passel of sloths s l o w d a n c i n g...


REALLY? Wow! I woulda loved to see *THAT*! Slow dancin'... swayin' to tha music...


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## Brianna Lee McKenzie (Jan 9, 2011)

Scheherazade said:


> Horde of ladybugs... looks a bit like a pomegranate. And this video does prove it could be worse.


Somebody's Ver-r-ry lucky!


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Brendan Carroll said:


> Oh, BTW, I've only seen one today and it was on the ceiling, Rory. My daughter was visiting last week and she's a little skittish at times. She has long fingernails. So she was sitting on the sofa, studying her notebook intensely when suddenly she started flailing around, shouting and wiggling and generally scaring the Bejesus out of me. Problem? Ladybug under the fingernail.


I would have freaked out too! Nothing like a surprise buggie attack - no matter HOW cute they are! Yeep!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Syria Says... said:


> I would have freaked out too! Nothing like a surprise buggie attack - no matter HOW cute they are! Yeep!


Yeah... there could be some golden beetle worth a thousand dollars if you catch one and if it started crawling on me out of the blue I'd flail about in a panic too... not a fan of bugs.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

A little tiny ladybug?!




OK... I probably woulda too!


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## Barbiedull (Jul 13, 2010)

hmmm...


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## Syria Says... AKA Celia Can Read (Apr 16, 2010)

Well, didn't one fall into a pot of skettie?!


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Cha! I ate the Ladybug, but not her little thermos.  She was looking for moisture and fell in!  That reminds of a limerick... no, I won't give in... no...


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## Brianna Lee McKenzie (Jan 9, 2011)

Ah, a woman in search of a hot bath!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Brendan Carroll said:


> I ate the Ladybug,


   

(But please do share the limerick. )


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> (But please do share the limerick. )


OK, but only because you asked me to do it. It's not racy or anything; just silly.

There once was a lady from Linn,
Who was so incredibly thin
That when she assayed
To drink lemonade,
She slipped through the straw and fell in.

It's also very ancient. No one uses the word 'assayed' anymore.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Oh, poo.  Here I was hoping for a NEW limerick written by YOU, not a recycled one.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

He said it was ancient Susan... how do you know HE didn't write it!


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## BrassMan (Dec 8, 2008)

Here's just one of many trees next to the University of Texas McDonald Observatory in west Texas. These guys figured in one early scene of Distant Cousin:










There are other shots of the area at http://anadarcy.blogspot.com/2009/09/pictures-ana-darcys-first-sights.html.


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