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Ladybugs: helpful, sometimes pesky

October 2, 2005

By Madeline Bodin

Who loves a ladybug? Until recently, everyone did. These tiny beetles
gobble aphids and other soft-bodied insects that plague crops and
ornamental plants.



Ladybug infestations are only to be outdone by boxelder bug invasions and we
had them both at the same time every fall. When the ladybugs got into the
house they communed in a tight wad at the very peak of our vaulted ceiling,
a harmless but unsightly writhing mass that was impossible to remove.
Keeping screens tight and doors shut was the best defense but they still got
in by clinging to our clothing as we had to negotiate the flying swarms to
walk to the house. The garage attic became a graveyard for both critters as
they found their way in but never got out. We swept out thousands. Even
without squishing them they left stains on the windowsills and woodwork that
was difficult to remove. I will not soon forget the sight of the redwood
trees coming alive as millions of boxelder bugs burrowed and crawled through
cracks in the bark.