We have a way of having quirky and unique creature invasions no matter where we go. At our old house, it was Satan the Squirrel. Thank goodness he hasn’t found us again (yet). But for the last three years at our new house, we have had a much less damaging, but much more puzzling group of visitors.
HOW…..
Can a swarm of hundreds ladybugs know to come to the SAME room in the SAME house every year, and all show up at once?
Furthermore, how is it that they know to come to a room decorated in Ladybugs (and Butterflies and Dragonflies)?
Furthermore, how can they do all of the above when I know for a fact that this year’s swarm is a totally different group than the previous two year’s swarms, because they all met their demise in the bottom of a water bottle?
Furthermore, and most puzzling, how can ladybugs understand the passage of time well enough to come:
in 2007: on November 13th
in 2008: on November 3rd
in 2009: on November 3rd
They arrived the EXACT SAME DAY that they came last year.
I’m pretty sure that Ladybugs must be the smartest bugs on earth.
Either that, or we live in the Ladybug Twilight Zone.
Chris’ theories?
a) That last year’s invaders laid eggs and these are their babies that miraculously hatched exactly a year later (I disproved because they’re all full-grown, and I’ve seen baby ladybugs – their tiny.)
b) That each year, the ladybugs “mark” our house so that they (and their descendants) know where to come back to for their winter death lodging. This theory actually seems feasible.
Which means that Ali’s room is apparently marked with Ladybug poo.
Ew.
Anyone have any better theories?
Too bad the ladybugs won’t live to explain it to us.
Time to get the water bottle torture chamber back out…
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Ugh. We've got them, too. They show up right after Halloween every year. Maybe they are like the fruit flies that materialize when you bring home bananas…perhaps the candy brings them in.
They also are not fans of vacuum cleaner attachments.
Ladybugs are pretty, but I don't blame you for not wanting them in your house. I'm glad I haven't had to deal with this. We're still working on making mice understand that they are not welcome in our house!
They always came to our old house! In the same room every time! In my oldest daughter's room (whom I call Ladybug) Do ya think I was inviting them by calling my daughter that? I actually liked ladybugs until they started coming around. Now she's the only one I like!!
I have no answers. Quite strange.
Weird! I have never seen ladybugs inside a house, but apparently it is a common problem? Maybe in the south? We only see summer ladybugs here. You can ship yours to me if you want…they eat the bad bugs on my plants so we actually buy them here! You are getting free ladybugs and you are killing them! Haha
That is kind of creepy that they came on the exact same day though!
I'm going with Chris' theory B! Never had a swarm of anything in my house. Well unless you count those weird earwig things. But they are just here and there, not in swarms. Thank the sweet LORD! lol
Yuck!! I think they're just drawn to your loveliness, personally. And in England, they call them "ladybirds". Just thought you'd like to know that bit of trivia.
By the way, I am more puzzled that you know the exact dates they arrived. How does one do that?
We get them every year, too. In fact, one is crawling across my keyboard as I type this (and many are on the ceiling, walls, and windows of our living room). Must be a geographical/seasonal thing.
I was thinking exactly what Carol from England said – it is far more amazing that you are keeping track of the exact dates the ladybugs appear.
And I don't have any ladybugs. Last year I had just one.
I get them too. They lay their eggs in my room which leads to baby ladybugs that I kill.
We had them really bad one year but since I've been spraying the exterior and interior of the foundation with pesticide (I know, bad me) I don't get them anymore.
We had an invasion last year. They seem to have all gone to your house this year!
Mike Pender of Classic Gardens and Landscape has a Saturday morning radio show and they were talking about this very issue not too long ago and they explained why and how to get rid of them. Maybe it's on their website or you could call them to find out the solution. But I do know they can be gotten rid of….for good!
We got ours back in the kitchen,it's always the same kitchen window, yesterday. Totally disrupted school. Someone told me it was "their cycle", but I was too embarrassed at my obvious lack of ladybug lore to ask for more details.
They show up at our house in the Spring and the Fall when the weather is like it is today. Just swarms of them. I even saw them at a hospital one year. Same situation. Heard they love drywall dust by the way.
They are Asian ladybugs and they occasionally bite. Supposedly they hibernate in cracks and crevices of structures, are attracted to light colors and lights. We have them on South facing walls and tolerate for a short time before we usually vacuum them all up in the house. I actually have a few in my car now….how does the water bottle thing work? Do they go looking for water and get trapped?
My mother's house gets invaded like that. Lady bugs are considered good luck so just look for something good to happen, but till then, get use to sweeping dead lady bugs out from everywhere!
Wow, that is freaky! Can't believe they show up at the same time every year!
I always thought lady bugs were cute until I realized that they travel in herds when they invade your house