Invasion of the Ladybugs

Posted by Jamie McIntosh Jan 22, 2008

I first noticed the swarm back in late October, when we were still enjoying unseasonably warm weather. We could scarcely open the door without letting dozens of ladybugs inside. If the insects had been swarms of flies, ants, or any other bug with lesser charms, we wouldn’t have tolerated such nonsense. After the first hard frost of the season, the ladybugs stopped congregating on the windows, and it seemed that they had gone off to find a brush pile or some other suitable place to spend the winter. I didn’t realize that we had so many refugees still hiding inside.

Now, the stowaways are revealing themselves. Every morning, I find their dehydrated carcasses in the sink, on the floor, or in the toy box. What a waste! I hate that these misguided insects chose poorly, and now they won’t be around in the spring to consume aphids and other pests in my garden. This is the first time in more than ten years in our home that the ladybugs have sought shelter indoors, so I hope that next autumn they find a cozier spot in one of the unkempt areas of our property.