Another 'too nice to stay in', day yesterday. It was forecast to be hot, and so it was, with a slight breeze to keep me comfortable. I did a local circular walk of nine miles. Fantastic views over the river.
Then I was attacked. I came to a gate and found the whole area swarming with ladybirds, millions of them. Quite a lot of black ones with red spots. In seconds I was brushing them off my clothing and picking them out of my hair. I took a few photo's and then got the hell out of there.
Out in the open fields and eventually I had brushed them all off. I kept seeing them flying about throughout the day, but not as many as those at the gate.
A lot of chattering coming from this large gathering.
A nice afternoon out. Weather not so good today, a day in the garden I think. ilona
I have seen a swarm of ladybugs once on the side of a building. Something very unpleasant about seeing so many all together.
ReplyDeleteWe have what look like lady birds here too (Eastern USA) they are horrible! We live in an old farmhouse and at this time of the year these Asian Beetles swarm out of the woods and squeeze into every tiny fissure on the sunny side of the house which is white. I suck them up in the sweeper in their hundreds and they smell awful. Seems as if they appeared here about a dozen years ago and I have no idea if there are any real Lady beetles left.
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce - checking in from SE Pennsylvania ... when these things (either the Orange/black " Halloween bugs" or stink bugs) started showing up (they came in on fruit shipments from Asia) I spoke with a bug specialist at Penn State to see what could be done about the infestation. She said that both these bugs exude a scent where they perch to let other bugs know that they were there. The scent can linger for a long time, and serves as a beacon to other bugs to settle there as well. The only thing you can do is thoroughly disinfect the spots you find them to eradicate the scent. And that's probably more than you EVER wanted to know about bugs!
DeleteDo you remember the film 'The Birds'? This is a modern remake with an all female cast :-)
ReplyDeleteThose look to be the Asian Beetles someone else mentioned in a post. They look similar to lady bugs so most people confuse the two. I refer to them as the lady bug's evil cousin. You do not want to be bringing these little fellas home with you. They like to bite at dogs and yes, give off a strong odor, even when you squish them. ( I found that out on my own, lol.)
ReplyDeleteAs always, enjoying your posts.
Cindy in Canada
There has been an explosion throughout the uk of Ladybirds.
ReplyDeleteI remember a plague of ladybirds a lot of years ago when I was on holiday.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
So do I but cant remember the year
DeleteI can remember it happening years ago hazel.We were on holiday aswell,in Skegness.I cant remember the year...maybe getting on for 30 years ago?.I love them on their own...but in thousands,just dropping on you...they were horrible!xx
DeleteLadybirds/ladybugs===is this the same thing?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I would be horrified to "walk into" a swarm like that, but,,,---- are they not the "good" bug kind which eats bad bugs like aphids etc?
In America we call these ladybugs. I love them. They are supposed to be good luck. We have them all around our home in the summer.
ReplyDeleteYes everyone's commenting on how many ladybirds they're are, someone said they are been blown this way on the strong southerly winds
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Asian Beetles but a quick search comes up with loads of hits like this one, explaining the difference between them and ladybugs/birds: https://www.thespruce.com/good-and-bad-ladybugs-2656236 Ladybugs/birds are definitely beneficial insects, but those Asian Beetles sound nasty!
ReplyDeleteYou will never mistake a ladybug for am Asian Beetle! Ladybugs are good bugs, good luck in America. One day, years ago, I was lying down and started focusing on a line along one wall above a picture window. As I focused and sat up, I could see the line was moving. I finally had to use a vacuum to get rid of them after they flew into my plate, and into things I was mixing or cooking. I found them in the refrigerator and freezer. It was bizarre. Everyone in the county was experiencing these pretty little bugs.
ReplyDelete