| Page 1 of 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
ladybugs!
I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you
really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! |
In article .net, "LAH"
wrote: I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! They usually prefer western sun exposures for hibernation purposes. It is possible to discourage them from using your porch without harming them much: Rig up a vaccuum cleaner (one with a hose, not beaters) with a fresh bag in it, or a nylon stocking or loose cheesecloth in front of the bag or a nylon stocking stuffed down the front of the hose. Vaccuum the ladybirds into the sack or stocking, to be emptied on the property edge or nearby woods, underneath or in the folds of a black tarp that can be permanently located (perhaps near a compost heap or along the west edge of a tool shed or garage), or deposit the sleepy ladies in the hollow of a rotting tree. They want a relatively dry slightly warmed place to hibernate, & rotting wood or west-sunned dark surfaces stay warmer than the atmospheric temperature, so can be better attractants than porches or the insides of walls. When they emerge next spring from out of a black tarp or tree hollow, they will take note of where they are at, & if struck them as a good place to have wintered, they may return to the same spot the next winter. Ladybirds have "scouts" which find ideal hibernation spots & somehow the news spreads among them & they remember the spot for generations; they arrive in autumn from a considerable distance, then emerge in spring to scatter far from your gardens, so the person with the most ladybirds hibernating often end up with the fewest when they're needed in spring. When they fixate on a specific spot they'll return to it year after year in increasing numbers, but if the mass-hibernation spot is frequently disturbed, such as by vaccuuming them up & moving them, their "scouts" look for safer refuge, & whether or not they continue to return to the tarp-spot provided for them, they eventually stop using a porch because they'll have learned it gets disrupted. -paghat the ratgirl -- "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com |
"paghat" wrote in message ... In article .net, "LAH" wrote: I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! They usually prefer western sun exposures for hibernation purposes. It is possible to discourage them from using your porch without harming them much: Rig up a vaccuum cleaner (one with a hose, not beaters) with a fresh bag in it, or a nylon stocking or loose cheesecloth in front of the bag or a nylon stocking stuffed down the front of the hose. Vaccuum the ladybirds into the sack or stocking, to be emptied on the property edge or nearby woods, underneath or in the folds of a black tarp that can be permanently located (perhaps near a compost heap or along the west edge of a tool shed or garage), or deposit the sleepy ladies in the hollow of a rotting tree. They want a relatively dry slightly warmed place to hibernate, & rotting wood or west-sunned dark surfaces stay warmer than the atmospheric temperature, so can be better attractants than porches or the insides of walls. When they emerge next spring from out of a black tarp or tree hollow, they will take note of where they are at, & if struck them as a good place to have wintered, they may return to the same spot the next winter. Ladybirds have "scouts" which find ideal hibernation spots & somehow the news spreads among them & they remember the spot for generations; they arrive in autumn from a considerable distance, then emerge in spring to scatter far from your gardens, so the person with the most ladybirds hibernating often end up with the fewest when they're needed in spring. When they fixate on a specific spot they'll return to it year after year in increasing numbers, but if the mass-hibernation spot is frequently disturbed, such as by vaccuuming them up & moving them, their "scouts" look for safer refuge, & whether or not they continue to return to the tarp-spot provided for them, they eventually stop using a porch because they'll have learned it gets disrupted. -paghat the ratgirl -- "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. |
"Cheryl" wrote in message ... In the fine newsgroup "rec.gardens", "LAH" artfully composed this message within erio.net on 08 Oct 2004: I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. I haven't read this group in a while, and checked in and upon seeing your post, I sort of have to agree. I have the same problem with them every year (though, not yet, too early) and those things are agressive and bite (yes, these "lady"bugs bite. The first year I bought my house they found their way in via the basement and I've never found a hole to plug, but they haven't been that bad since. But outdoors, they swarm in the fall. I like the idea of vaccuming them up and relocating them. -- Cheryl Yesterday I tried vacuuming. It was sort of like trying to drain Lake Erie with a tea cup - sounds good in theory but not very practical nor very effective. Lois |
OTOH, my peonies didnt have any aphids or "dew" on them this year. flower buds were
clean as a whistle. so maybe they are doing some good out there. Ingrid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List http://puregold.aquaria.net/ www.drsolo.com Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the endorsements or recommendations I make. |
If your porch is set up so you can do this, blast 'em with water from
a hose set on jet. You may have to do it repeatedly, but they'll eventually decide your porch ain't the best place to be. On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 15:49:55 -0500, "LAH" wrote: "paghat" wrote in message ... In article .net, "LAH" wrote: I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! They usually prefer western sun exposures for hibernation purposes. It is possible to discourage them from using your porch without harming them much: Rig up a vaccuum cleaner (one with a hose, not beaters) with a fresh bag in it, or a nylon stocking or loose cheesecloth in front of the bag or a nylon stocking stuffed down the front of the hose. Vaccuum the ladybirds into the sack or stocking, to be emptied on the property edge or nearby woods, underneath or in the folds of a black tarp that can be permanently located (perhaps near a compost heap or along the west edge of a tool shed or garage), or deposit the sleepy ladies in the hollow of a rotting tree. They want a relatively dry slightly warmed place to hibernate, & rotting wood or west-sunned dark surfaces stay warmer than the atmospheric temperature, so can be better attractants than porches or the insides of walls. When they emerge next spring from out of a black tarp or tree hollow, they will take note of where they are at, & if struck them as a good place to have wintered, they may return to the same spot the next winter. Ladybirds have "scouts" which find ideal hibernation spots & somehow the news spreads among them & they remember the spot for generations; they arrive in autumn from a considerable distance, then emerge in spring to scatter far from your gardens, so the person with the most ladybirds hibernating often end up with the fewest when they're needed in spring. When they fixate on a specific spot they'll return to it year after year in increasing numbers, but if the mass-hibernation spot is frequently disturbed, such as by vaccuuming them up & moving them, their "scouts" look for safer refuge, & whether or not they continue to return to the tarp-spot provided for them, they eventually stop using a porch because they'll have learned it gets disrupted. -paghat the ratgirl -- "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. |
great solution, Paggers!!
madgardener -- Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." Chief Seattle "paghat" wrote in message ... In article .net, "LAH" wrote: I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! They usually prefer western sun exposures for hibernation purposes. It is possible to discourage them from using your porch without harming them much: Rig up a vaccuum cleaner (one with a hose, not beaters) with a fresh bag in it, or a nylon stocking or loose cheesecloth in front of the bag or a nylon stocking stuffed down the front of the hose. Vaccuum the ladybirds into the sack or stocking, to be emptied on the property edge or nearby woods, underneath or in the folds of a black tarp that can be permanently located (perhaps near a compost heap or along the west edge of a tool shed or garage), or deposit the sleepy ladies in the hollow of a rotting tree. They want a relatively dry slightly warmed place to hibernate, & rotting wood or west-sunned dark surfaces stay warmer than the atmospheric temperature, so can be better attractants than porches or the insides of walls. When they emerge next spring from out of a black tarp or tree hollow, they will take note of where they are at, & if struck them as a good place to have wintered, they may return to the same spot the next winter. Ladybirds have "scouts" which find ideal hibernation spots & somehow the news spreads among them & they remember the spot for generations; they arrive in autumn from a considerable distance, then emerge in spring to scatter far from your gardens, so the person with the most ladybirds hibernating often end up with the fewest when they're needed in spring. When they fixate on a specific spot they'll return to it year after year in increasing numbers, but if the mass-hibernation spot is frequently disturbed, such as by vaccuuming them up & moving them, their "scouts" look for safer refuge, & whether or not they continue to return to the tarp-spot provided for them, they eventually stop using a porch because they'll have learned it gets disrupted. -paghat the ratgirl -- "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com |
"Cheryl" wrote in message ... In the fine newsgroup "rec.gardens", "LAH" artfully composed this message within erio.net on 08 Oct 2004: I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. I haven't read this group in a while, and checked in and upon seeing your post, I sort of have to agree. I have the same problem with them every year (though, not yet, too early) and those things are agressive and bite (yes, these "lady"bugs bite. The first year I bought my house they found their way in via the basement and I've never found a hole to plug, but they haven't been that bad since. But outdoors, they swarm in the fall. I like the idea of vaccuming them up and relocating them. -- Cheryl Where do you live? |
LAH wrote:
I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! A number of companies sell asian ladybug traps. They run about $30, though it sounds like you might need more than one. They use a combination of a battery-operated light and a pheromone lure to attract the ladybugs into a collector. Gardener's Supply sells them, as does the Vermont Country Store, and Cooper Seeds. www.gardeners.com www.vermontcountrystore.com www.cooperseeds.com -Kelly |
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message ... "Cheryl" wrote in message ... In the fine newsgroup "rec.gardens", "LAH" artfully composed this message within erio.net on 08 Oct 2004: I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. I haven't read this group in a while, and checked in and upon seeing your post, I sort of have to agree. I have the same problem with them every year (though, not yet, too early) and those things are agressive and bite (yes, these "lady"bugs bite. The first year I bought my house they found their way in via the basement and I've never found a hole to plug, but they haven't been that bad since. But outdoors, they swarm in the fall. I like the idea of vaccuming them up and relocating them. -- Cheryl Where do you live? LAH live in Kansas, USA |
Last winter when we were house hunting we went into several vacant houses
that had a zillion of the little things, mostly dead all over the floors. It was kind of eerie since I had never experienced this large of a population before. After living in the south for a year, I have realized just how many bugs (all varieties) there ARE down here and can see why these too would be unnerving. Since we are taught as children that Ladybugs are our friends and they are all cute and lovable there is always the fear that killing one will bring on disapproval and criticism. However, even a beautiful flower growing in the wrong place can be considered a weed. Have you considered an exterminator? Kate "Cheryl" wrote in message ... | In the fine newsgroup "rec.gardens", "LAH" | artfully composed this message within | erio.net on 08 | Oct 2004: | | I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand | the magnitude of the problem. This is a two story house and the | south side is just covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up | there would be pretty tricky. If I do try this you can be sure | I'm not going to let them go - gas and a match it is! Sorry I | realize this probably offends some but enough is enough. | | I haven't read this group in a while, and checked in and upon seeing | your post, I sort of have to agree. I have the same problem with them | every year (though, not yet, too early) and those things are | agressive and bite (yes, these "lady"bugs bite. The first year I | bought my house they found their way in via the basement and I've | never found a hole to plug, but they haven't been that bad since. But | outdoors, they swarm in the fall. I like the idea of vaccuming them | up and relocating them. | | -- | Cheryl |
Good idea!
"fran" wrote in message ... | If your porch is set up so you can do this, blast 'em with water from | a hose set on jet. You may have to do it repeatedly, but they'll | eventually decide your porch ain't the best place to be. | | On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 15:49:55 -0500, "LAH" | wrote: | | | "paghat" wrote in message | ... | In article .net, "LAH" | wrote: | | I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but | you | really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is | on | the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually | unusable | thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door | is | like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be | used | at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to | live | with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! | | They usually prefer western sun exposures for hibernation purposes. It is | possible to discourage them from using your porch without harming them | much: | | Rig up a vaccuum cleaner (one with a hose, not beaters) with a fresh bag | in it, or a nylon stocking or loose cheesecloth in front of the bag or a | nylon stocking stuffed down the front of the hose. Vaccuum the ladybirds | into the sack or stocking, to be emptied on the property edge or nearby | woods, underneath or in the folds of a black tarp that can be permanently | located (perhaps near a compost heap or along the west edge of a tool shed | or garage), or deposit the sleepy ladies in the hollow of a rotting tree. | They want a relatively dry slightly warmed place to hibernate, & rotting | wood or west-sunned dark surfaces stay warmer than the atmospheric | temperature, so can be better attractants than porches or the insides of | walls. When they emerge next spring from out of a black tarp or tree | hollow, they will take note of where they are at, & if struck them as a | good place to have wintered, they may return to the same spot the next | winter. | | Ladybirds have "scouts" which find ideal hibernation spots & somehow the | news spreads among them & they remember the spot for generations; they | arrive in autumn from a considerable distance, then emerge in spring to | scatter far from your gardens, so the person with the most ladybirds | hibernating often end up with the fewest when they're needed in spring. | When they fixate on a specific spot they'll return to it year after year | in increasing numbers, but if the mass-hibernation spot is frequently | disturbed, such as by vaccuuming them up & moving them, their "scouts" | look for safer refuge, & whether or not they continue to return to the | tarp-spot provided for them, they eventually stop using a porch because | they'll have learned it gets disrupted. | | -paghat the ratgirl | | -- | "Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. | "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. | -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" | Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com | | I appreciate the information but I don't think you understand the magnitude | of the problem. This is a two story house and the south side is just | covered with ladybugs. Getting a vacuum up there would be pretty tricky. | If I do try this you can be sure I'm not going to let them go - gas and a | match it is! Sorry I realize this probably offends some but enough is | enough. | | |
YES they are miserable, and they BITE, (I have been told they're drinking
the moisture on the surface of the skin). And they show up by the millions! Thanks! "LAH" wrote in message erio.net... I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! |
I have experienced the same problem of swarms of ladybugs covering the sunny
side of my house and making it impossible to open the door without having them swarm inside. It isn't the regular ladybugs doing this, but some invasive oriental strain which showed up in New England about 10 years ago. They are colored differently than the good ones that you want to control your aphids. Unfortunately, these invasive foreign lady bugs have no natural predators here and are a problem. They were written up in our newspaper some years ago which is where I learned about them. They seem to be attracted to yellow things, which is the color of our house, hence the swarming. There isn't anything I can do until they go away which they do in a week or so. Meanwhile, I go in and out via the garage door on the side. If you squash them they leave a nasty yellow stain. When they get inside I scoop them into a container with a piece of paper. They are truly loathsome. If you haven't run into them, consider yourself lucky. -- Jenny - Low Carbing for 5 years. Below goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes, hba1c 5.7 . Cut the carbs to respond to my email address! Jenny's new site: What they Don't Tell You About Diabetes http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/ Jenny's Low Carb Diet Facts & Figures http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/ Looking for help controlling your blood sugar? Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/...0Diagnosed.htm "Shawna Brasgalla" wrote in message ... YES they are miserable, and they BITE, (I have been told they're drinking the moisture on the surface of the skin). And they show up by the millions! Thanks! "LAH" wrote in message erio.net... I hate the *%#$@ things! I know I'll be accused of being a troll but you really have to be here to understand my hatred. My open front porch is on the south side of the house. At this time of year it is virtually unusable thanks to those red and black spotted menaces! Opening the front door is like to walking into a swarm! Actually the front door simply can't be used at this time of year. I wish the jerk who imported these things had to live with them like I do. Kill a ladybug, save an aphid! |
For the past several days hundreds of them are seen crawling on the
side of the house, peaking in the afternoon. Some get inside, then collect around the windows where they are vacuumed up using the crevice attachment. They hunker down when threatened which makes it difficult to pick them up by hand. If you crush them they can stain walls, clothes, even your skin. The other day I saw my neighbor spraying his house with insecticide, while another hosed down his house with a garden hose. Another told me he has not been using his deck due to the ladybugs. And yes, I've gotten bitten when they crawl inside the shirt. On closer inspection, I noticed that there are several varieties with a different number of spots, although I have not seen any 2-spot nor no-spot species. In the summertime they do seem to like the Rose-of-Sharon where the aphids are plenty. Kids call them "pumpkin bugs." In a week or two they will be gone. But this fall it looks like there is the largest invasion of ladybugs than I can remember. |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:05 AM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter