Grumbleeze

...been trying to blog every day. Well I guess that way I'll at least blog more often...right??? I actually am taking photos every day now.

Today I want to talk about ladybugs. It's been mentioned that some of my blogger friends are 'ladybug friendly' people. I used to have a set of 4 of these cute little glasses... was devastated when one broke. I used to just LOVE ladybugs! I still like them - outdoors. They are good for the garden. A few years ago people in our area began to be invaded by these little critters - or a very close relative - inside our houses! I finally blogged about this issue in December 2003. Here is that blog entry.

Yesterday (and the day before...) I swept up a dustpan full of the little buggers. I'll do it again today and beyond. Mostly they get into the house and then they die... usually around a window or a door... where they look like they are trying to get back outside. I try to keep them from landing on my carpet where they get squished when you walk without seeing them and they actually leave a tiny reddish orange stain. They stink when you squish them - thus the alternative name for them - stinkbugs. During a fairly heavy infestation I've had them land on me. They bite - and yes, it hurts! Anyway, yesterday I took a few photos of my indoor supply of ladybugs... one bug was on a plant doing it's thing - eating insects I suppose... or at least looking for them. I even have photos of the dustpan full of them.

The bugs that get in the house vary in color... most of them are more of a brownish orange color, not the pretty red ones we traditionally saw in our gardens. Perhaps that is the color of the imported version.
I still like ladybugs... I still like ladybug things..... but imported asian beetles? I squish 'em!