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~Shelly~ 22-10-2003 08:32 PM

Missouri Ladybug Invasion
 
Got this from CNN.com and thought it might interest someone:

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri (AP) -- Unseasonably warm weather is causing
some unladylike behavior in southeast Missouri.

Millions of ladybugs have invaded the area.

By mid-afternoon Sunday, masses of the orange insects were landing on
buildings, cars and skin.

"We've got too many," said Cape Girardeau County resident Schirley
Huey, doing yard work with her husband when they first noticed the
pesky insects flying about. A few even bit.

"Here in front of our barn, they were swarming all over the place,"
she said. "I do not recall them ever being this bad."

The Asian ladybird beetle was imported several times over the last
century to control aphids, a tiny insect that damages crops. They come
in a variety of orange colors and vary in spottage -- some have no
spots. The native variety of ladybug is nearly identical in appearance
but does not have nearly so voracious an appetite.

"They'll only be swarming during the warm weather," said Wesley
Mueller, agriculture department head at Southeast Missouri State
University. "Since it cools down soon, I'd say it'll likely be a week
before they're gone."

~Shelly~




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