There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

On 2009-10-24 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx said:

There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

Look at the BBC prog Autumnwatch shown tonight. It's on the BBC web
site. They're asking people to report this sort of thing.
--
Sacha

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx wrote:

There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

Hardly a nuisance the cute little things. Why on earth would you
consider them a nuisance just for living?

I read online that around this time of year they look for somewhere
to sleep for the winter and then come out looking for mates next year.
Mine started a few days ago with lots flying around, seemed to be just
for the one day. Around 5/6 got in the house and where flying around
here and there, not sure if they were trying to get out again so
opened a few windows for them if they landed near the windows, but no
way, they were staying put. Anyway they have gradually all met up at
the window on top of the landing and are now tucked up together in the
corner of the top right of the wooden frame. Obviously getting
something from each others company, but never seen the like before.
Been in the corner now not moving for two days.

Kids love the idea they're all snuggled up in bed together for the
winter, we do too

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx wrote:

There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

In 1976 we had a severe drought and that summer there was a "plague"
of ladybirds. I remember taking my Mum out for a walk on the coast
and the air being full of them, and the ground and plants covered.
It was spectacular but not a nuisance, though there was a report of
some of them "biting". Live and let live.

Pam in Bristol

lloyd wrote:
Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.
Hardly a nuisance the cute little things. Why on earth would you
consider them a nuisance just for living?

Native uk ladybirds are fine, and yes, quite cute (until you see a close
up of them! :-)

The harlequin ladybirds, I believe, can give quite a nasty nip, and are
killing off the native ladybirds.

Personally, I've looked at the identification charts and I /still/ can't
tell the difference!

On 27 Oct 2009 10:43:59 GMT, wrote:

lloyd wrote:
Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.
Hardly a nuisance the cute little things. Why on earth would you
consider them a nuisance just for living?

Native uk ladybirds are fine, and yes, quite cute (until you see a close
up of them! :-)

Not the prettiest flying things either

The harlequin ladybirds, I believe, can give quite a nasty nip, and are
killing off the native ladybirds.

Not so sure we should always take the conservation freaks version of
events, especially if it means the wholesale destruction of another
species. The human world is a melting pot now, why should we subject
other species to lives we don't subject our own species to? If you ask
me there are too many nutty professors out there with hidden agendas.
I have never seen a harlequin behaving any different to any other
ladybug. I think one of those in my house is a harlequin and much
bigger than the others.

Personally, I've looked at the identification charts and I /still/ can't
tell the difference!

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/reco...istinction.htm
is quite helpful, though still hard to tell in real life.

Pam Moore wrote in
:

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx wrote:

There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

In 1976 we had a severe drought and that summer there was a "plague"
of ladybirds. I remember taking my Mum out for a walk on the coast
and the air being full of them, and the ground and plants covered.
It was spectacular but not a nuisance, though there was a report of
some of them "biting". Live and let live.

There was something similar in, I guess, the mid 90s in
Weston-super-Mud. I heard (but not believed) the explanation
that the wind was blowing them towards the sea, and when they
reached the sea they wouldn't/couldn't go any further.

It certainly was spectacular, since there were enough that,
in the abscence of a mask, you wanted to breath through
clenched teeth. Density? IIRC about one every 6 or 12 inches,
in the air and on/in buildings (and waking along branches
that were underwater!)

tom, also in Bristol

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:41:37 GMT, Tom wrote:

Pam Moore wrote in
:

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx wrote:

There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.

In 1976 we had a severe drought and that summer there was a "plague"
of ladybirds. I remember taking my Mum out for a walk on the coast
and the air being full of them, and the ground and plants covered.
It was spectacular but not a nuisance, though there was a report of
some of them "biting". Live and let live.

There was something similar in, I guess, the mid 90s in
Weston-super-Mud. I heard (but not believed) the explanation
that the wind was blowing them towards the sea, and when they
reached the sea they wouldn't/couldn't go any further.

It certainly was spectacular, since there were enough that,
in the abscence of a mask, you wanted to breath through
clenched teeth. Density? IIRC about one every 6 or 12 inches,
in the air and on/in buildings (and waking along branches
that were underwater!)

tom, also in Bristol

Well Tom, my incident in 1976 was in Portishead!

Pam in Bristol

On Oct 28, 4:59*pm, Jennifer Sparkes wrote:
The message
from Pam Moore contains these words:

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:49 +0100, Rexx wrote:
There's so many ladybirds. Even my nan can't remember anything like we
got this year.

Is it just our house or is everyone getting tons of the orange
ladybirds trying to get indoors? And we live in a very built up area
not in the fields.
In 1976 *we had a severe drought and that summer there was a "plague"
of ladybirds. *I remember taking my Mum out for a walk on the coast
and the air being full of them, and the ground and plants covered.
It was spectacular but not a nuisance, though there was a report of
some of them "biting". *Live and let live.

I was on holiday in Sicily at the end of September and what did
surprise me was the number of ladybirds flying around and
crawling on the rocks at 2000m (6000'+) up Mt Etna.

Jennifer

OT!!! Jenny, we went to Sicily a few years ago with our Grandson,
were you as impressed with the lava formation as I was and did you
feel the heat coming through your shoes, I did!

Judith