Why I Hate Ladybirds

[callmemadam]

I’ve never read Eric Carle’s The Bad-tempered Ladybird but the menacing expression on the cover bug’s face looks all too realistic to me.

When the estate agent first suggested that I might look at a thatched cottage I said, ‘Ugh, thatch! Mice! Spiders! No!’ Then of course I fell in love with the place and luckily have not been troubled by mice, spiders or other wildlife. Ladybirds are quite another matter. There are dozens of them clustered around the window frames in my bedroom and as long as they stay there quietly hibernating and leave me alone I don’t mind. But. If the sun comes out they start marching all over the ceiling in a creepy manner. Instead of keeping themselves to themselves, they drop on me *when I’m reading in bed* which I find intolerable. Several times a day I'm frantically brushing my hair because I'm sitting quietly, as now, and *feel* something.

They are vicious. One evening I switched on the light and heard a strange whirring noise. A moth was fluttering near the bulb and ladybirds were whizzing round and round it as if they were on strings like one of those children’s toys. I hastily switched off the light as I found this very unnerving. Never saw the moth again. Ladybirds are supposed to be good bugs because they eat aphids. Underneath the bedroom window is a climbing rose; in spite of the ladybird infestation the rose was smothered in greenfly all last summer so they don't live up to their job description.

I’m soooo tempted to get out the hoover and crevice tool and just dispose of them but can’t bring myself to do it. Or I could try brushing them outdoors. Any ideas? I'm quite prepared for Fotherington-Thomas types to tell me how lucky I am to share my home with such wonderful creatures but I diskard them.

Comments

[dorianegray.livejournal.com]

I'd hoover them. And then spray their favourite places with insecticide.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

You're encouraging me!

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

You need to introduce a larger predator to take care of the ladybirds, e.g. spiders.

And then a cat to deal with the spiders.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

But then you'd never come and see me. Also, you missed out the bird.

[tisfolly.livejournal.com]

Save the Ladybirds!
I too am scared of them, very scared of them, settled I can tolerate them but once they take flight I am beside myself with fear, but cannot abide the idea of killing them, so Andy hooks them up and puts them outside.

I'm not good with Daddy Long Legs, moths either. Spiders over a certain size bother me, but I let a spider lay her eggs above my side of the bed once and watched with fascination as the spiderlings were hatched, then collected up and put outside.

Mice and rats don't bother me at all.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It's the moving that gets me, too, whatever the beastie is.
Two votes for go and one for stay!

[tisfolly.livejournal.com]

Andy always laughs when I shriek, "It's opening it's back!" hehe.

I always liken Daddy Long Legs to Salvador Dali insects because of the legs.

I am also terrified of May Bugs.

[(Anonymous)]

Did you happen to read my post on them?

http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/
2009/10/not-plague-of-locusts-but.html

I think the US word 'bug' is more suitable. I hate them, I hate them. I still kill about 10 a day. They literally 'crawl out of the woodwork.' I vacuum them, I take kleenex and squish them. They are not easy to kill either. I call them little Rasputins. You have to really squish them completely. They do damage, too. I've got little dots all over from them. I dread to think of the masses in the walls I don't see.

[lethe1]

Ladybirds are ferocious! In spite of their sweet-sounding name they are not gentle creatures.

Also I understand that different types of ladybirds eat different kinds of aphids. Have you actually put some of them on the infested roses? Of course it is possible that they did eat (some of) the greenfly but were overwhelmed by their numbers. And it may even be the case that the infestation was the cause of the overabundance of ladybirds.

Either way, if putting them outside is too much trouble I'd say kill the beasties. It's still winter and you won't need greenfly-eating predators for some time. And when you do, new ladybirds will arrive (and real birds as well). They are not an endangered species AFAIK.

[ramblingfancy.livejournal.com]

If you can't bring yourself to do it, I could do arm myself with the bug spray and hoover and do the dirty work for you! The fact they're upsetting you means "they have to go!" They're only pesky insects :)

[(Anonymous)]

I'm all for hoovering ... have you noticed what a horrible smell they make when you squash them.

[susievereker.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

I always zap anything I don't fancy. No qualms about that.

By the way, why did you call yourself CMM? Were you in the FCO?

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I hoovered!

It's a demand for manners! And no to the FCO.