As a naturally look-on-the-bright-side-type gal, what I wanted to write about tonight was how lovely the Manse lawn is starting to look after Raymond (and to a lesser extent I) spent some time this bright sunny day raking up winter debris. But I kind of figure that no one is interested in reading about another person’s lawn, so I’ll stop right there. (This time, at least.) Instead let’s talk about The Ladybug Plague.
On one of our very first visits to the Manse, back in early 2012, we spotted a single ladybug in a window in the room that was once my dad’s study. “Oh, look!” I said to Raymond. “Isn’t it pretty? Aren’t ladybugs supposed to be good luck?”
Well, my good feelings toward ladybugs were shortlived. As we spent more time here in late winter and early spring last year, we experienced, and got thoroughly sick of, the phenomenon of the ladybugs appearing in droves as soon as we arrived at the Manse and turned the heat up. In ceiling lights, in windows, on floors. Bother bother bother!
We hoped that maybe 2012 was just a bad year for ladybugs and that this year would be better. So far, no such luck.
People, it is embarrassing when a ladybug drops from the ceiling into the hair of a dinner guest! (Even if the dinner guest deals with it with great equanimity, bless her heart.)
And it is tiresome to be constantly vacuuming them up and trapping and squishing them.
I no longer like ladybugs. They have worn away my patience, and don’t even get me started on how Raymond feels about all this.
I want them to fly away home, like the nursery rhyme says. Except I think our ladybugs are pretty convinced that the Manse IS home.
Meanwhile, at the Manse 
I understand completely about your ladybug issue. And I too thought they were wonderful and unique to see one in our home to say it was good luck. Well in my mind they are good luck. But I think your problem is yes the Manse. When I moved into the general store 16 years ago they were every where. But it was because the store/house didn’t have a daily occupant. Since my husband then worked in Toronto weekly and only was home Sat and Sun they just moved in. The house sat empty. I still get the odd one this time of year. So I pick them up and just put them in a plant. But we would have clusters in corners and window sills. Being a bachelor he loved his ladybugs… Don’t be too hard on the ladybug.. She did fly away home, she just didn’t know she was to share it with you.. lol 😉 Now I am waiting for you to discover the horrid fly!!!!!
Oh don’t even mention flies, mk! We’ve already heard about that plague from some other area friends (who also live in an old house) this week. I guess what we all have to accept is: we DO live in old houses, and these things sometimes (often?) come with them. Interesting that once your house was lived in full-time the ladybug problem diminished. That is encouraging!
Katherine, as I enjoyed dinner Saturday evening at Riverbend, I had two ladybugs drop by for a visit beside my plate. And then I saw a hornet. Seems like nature is getting ready for some warm weather outside as right now the only place that was warm was inside.
Bring on the sun and the warmth. And yes, please ladybug and your very large extended family it is time to fly to another home (I hear Katherine’s Manse is a nice place). LOL
Too funny, Jo-Ann! I hope your Riverbend ladybugs can neither hear nor understand your instructions to head down the road to the Manse; we have quite enough of our own dropping in for dinner, thank you very much. Geez, we never had ladybugs when I was growing up in this house (which, admittedly, was at the dawn of time). But I think Graham (in a subsequent comment) has got figured out what happened to bring them on. More’s the pity.
These ladybugs are most likely NOT the ones of our youth. The recent infestations are primarily the Asian variety (Harmonia Axyridis) which were introduced by the USDA, etc in the mid-1990s. They have multiplied quite well ever since. You can read more at http://www.ladybuglady.com/asianladybeetle.htm. The site has a FAQ article regarding infestations: http://www.ladybuglady.com/infestation.htm.
Frankly, they don’t bother me as they consume only aphids, thereby benefiting gardens. Inside the house, the vacuum cleaner easily takes care of accumulations.
“Harmonia Axyridis” (above) should be “Harmonia axyridis”. The second word, the specific or species name, is never capitalized whereas the first word, the generic or genus name, is always capitalized.
Graham how dare you… a vacuum cleaner!!!!
Slurrrppp….
Mk, I hate to say this, but the vacuum cleaner is Raymond’s weapon of choice against the ladybugs too. There are just so many of them!