Ladybirds!!!

bigbadwolf · Post by **bigbadwolf** » 27 Oct 2009 17:13

Up in Forest Hill near the library everyones got a Ladybird infestation. Is the same thing happening in other parts as well?

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 27 Oct 2009 18:00

It is.

Lots of Peter and Janes are heading off to the seaside on their annual migration also.

Although until Five Go Mad In Droitwich Close* and all we hear is "ham and turkey sandwiches, bags of lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, heaps of tomato, and lashings of ginger beer" then we'll not yet be infestated.

By the way, not only would you need to be a fan of Enid Blyton/'Comic Strip Presents'/Sydenham roads but STILL you might not get the reference...

*As opposed to the fantastic Five Go Mad In Dorest...a bit of a play on words!

lambchops · Post by **lambchops** » 27 Oct 2009 19:30

yeah, loads of them here.

happened last year too.

Juwlz · Post by **Juwlz** » 27 Oct 2009 22:52

Yeah - about a week and a half ago there was a swarm of them outside and then the whole back of our house was covered in hundreds of them. Ever since there's been a gang of about 15 of them all huddled in the very top corner of one room. I'm leaving them well alone, I find them a bit creepy.

lambchops · Post by **lambchops** » 27 Oct 2009 23:21

they come down at night and crawl all over you while you sleep, julwz.

chrisj1948 · Post by **chrisj1948** » 27 Oct 2009 23:35

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... homes.html

Rebelmc · Post by **Rebelmc** » 27 Oct 2009 23:39

chrisj1948 wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... homes.html

Indeed, I had a Harlequin in my car today.

If anyone is interested in insect conservation, you can find out more here http://www.ladybird-survey.org/

Nickerbockers · Post by **Nickerbockers** » 28 Oct 2009 14:04

How weird, my friend in Sevenoaks is having the same problem. Loads of the black ladybirds in her garden...

Juwlz · Post by **Juwlz** » 28 Oct 2009 22:38

Rebelmc wrote:
chrisj1948 wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... homes.html
Indeed, I had a Harlequin in my car today.

Just the one? We've had one or two almost permanently in our bathroom over most of the past two years, maybe longer, I think they get sucked in thru the fan or something. But the invasion the other day was on a bigger scale than previously.

Even so, some of these articles saying that they're 'invaders' and killing off the other ones are a bit ladybird-racist! I'm sure the original ones probably killed off something less successful themselves before being established as the norm. Presumably they eat greenfly like the other ones so we should all be happy.

So far nothing beats the invasion of the 'original' type ladybirds I experienced when I was a kid on holiday in Essex – I remember being handed a broom and literally sweeping piles of them out of the window, there were thousands of them.

digime2007 · Post by **digime2007** » 29 Oct 2009 09:12

I hate those little things. We've had them invading our flat for the last few years. When the weather turns cold they head in to homes for warmth. Sash windows usually have gaps they can get through and they leave a chemical trail others can follow.

One or two is annoying but they can breed into their thousands. I occasionally find large clusters of them huddled in the corners of woodwork.

From what I've read on the net they can become a problem if you're not careful. I usually vacuum them up as soon as I notice them.

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 29 Oct 2009 10:03

Yes...I have encountered quite a few of the little so-and-so's...
They love greenfly...Pity we can't save them, store them and inflict them on greenfly when the time is ripe.

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Ladybirds!!!

Ladybirds!!!