Lady bugs

[southernsibe]

I am inundated with lady bugs! I don't know what this means if anything, but it sure is odd. I don't mean, one or two. I counted no less then 15 on the door alone! That was when I was letting the dogs outside, and there was a bunch of them that flew off when I opened it. Any ideas? I kjnow lady bugs are good to have when you have certain pests in your garden, but I've not seen this many in the fall before.
Rachel in Central Virginia if that helps

 

[arlee453]

It's that time of year... they like to go up under siding on a house or any little cracks to winter.

On a nice sunny warm day, they swarm out. Happening right now on the other side of my house.\\

BTW, they say lady bugs in your house are good luck and not to kill them but just sweep them out. They definately don't hurt anything, well execpt other bugs...

 

[southernsibe]

Darn it! I was hoping I had some sort of harbinger for a lot of snow this winter or something like that. Oh well. They still are pretty cool and the kids are getting kick out of looking at them on the sliding glass doors.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I'm getting an influx of them too (more than usual). I don't know if you live near a papermill or large logging company but sometimes they'll release ladybugs to clear out pests on the trees they're going to harvest soon. I do live near a paper mill (it's within a 50 mile radius), and the company owns a lot of the land near where I live.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Lady bugs are good to have around. They eat all the little aphids that eat your houseplants and garden plants. They are perfectly harmless, just looking for a warm place to winter.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

That's funny that you started this thread, b/c just last night, DB said "Look at the ceiling" and there was probably 10+ lady bugs up there.

One of them found its way into the chicks box... they all looked at it, but nobody pecked at it!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
Uh-huh... Wait until one of them bites you.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
I think they instinctively know that it's going to taste nasty. I don't know anything that would eat a ladybug - not that I'd want anything to. They're nice to have around, just annoying when your house gets swarmed by them.

 

[gritsar]

I too live surrounded by forest owned by a timber company and they release lady bugs twice a year. The theory is lady bugs eat the larvae of pine beetles, thus are beneficial to the timber company.
The first year I lived in Arkansas I thought they were so cool! I'm superstitous and I thought they were good luck. Now they are just a nuisance! No matter how air tight your house, they get inside and swarm on the walls.
And each year the locals have a running debate on whether the pain caused by a lady bug landing on you is from them biting or pinching. I side with the pinching theory. I don't know for sure, but it does hurt!

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Quote:
Uh-huh... Wait until one of them bites you.

Well...I've never had any teeth marks left on me... what a way to go... eaten by ladybugs.