I have some vague memories of being younger and noticing the population of rust-colored ladybugs growing each year. After a while, it seemed like they were all over the place outside, and even showing up on walls and ceilings. I don't think it bothered my mother or me very much, since they were kind of cute.It matters now.
The ladybugs have become an infestation over the past several years. My mother's small home began filling with them each spring, in ever increasing numbers. It turns out, they like hiding in medicine cabinets and spoon drawers. In addition, they stink when they fly into your lightbulbs, and don't seem to learn from the mistakes of their peers.
The infestation has reached a new level, because this time, they didn't leave over the winter. They set up camp and stayed, and now are multiplying at a rate that would make a rabbit blush. This is especially troublesome because I live in this house now, with two young daughters and my mother and her dog. Guys, space is tight. We *do not* have room for ten thousand ladybugs.
My children are afraid.
It turns out, the ladybugs bite. They stink when they die and they bite my little girls. They have now become my enemies...
I've learned some interesting things during the week since I declared war on the rust colored legion(let's call this list, "You Know You Have an Infestation When...."):
1. If you listen closely, you can hear their shells clicking as they jockey for the best position on the glass windowpane.
2. If you are almost asleep and feel something pellet-like on, say, your thigh..and it BITES you, it's probably a lady bug. In this situation, it's best to panic.
3. If you see a ladybug in your house and call other family members to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over it's cuteness before taking it gently outdoors to set it free, you probably don't have an infestation. If your frightened 2 yr old plays a skewed version of hopscotch just to get down the hall without encountering one, you probably *do* have an infestation.
Earlier this week, I discovered that they don't like the vacuum cleaner. I was happily on my way to freeing our home from their tyranny..
Then, they organized. I swear. Every day, I go through the house vacuuming hundreds of them from windows, corners, blankets, picture frames (to the applause and cheers of W and G). I take the full vacuum canister outdoors and empty it, then come in to our clean, inviting, de-bugged home.
The next morning, I wake to find MORE than the day before! So I start again..
Now, when they hear the vacuum turn on, they all try to run and hide. I don't think they are supposed to know how to do that.
And this is the weirdest thing so far: every day at around 3 pm, they go crazy trying to get out the North-facing window. Every stinking one of them clicking frantically against the picture window. I look on the other windows, nothing. I come to the North-facing window, it's ladybug chaos.
That's okay with me, though..it just makes it easier to surprise them with the vacuum, them being so distracted and all in one place.
For now, I'm one step ahead of them.
I just pray they don't evolve any further..if they go on the offensive, we're in trouble.
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