A Heap Of Ladybirds

[Biccylova]

I noticed what I thought was a large black slug in the corner of my utility room, but when I got on the step ladder to get it down I could see it was actually a big heap of ladybirds, I suppose they are hibernating so I left them alone, I have never seen this before, I don't know how they all got in. Has anyone else seen this happen?

[NoMercy]

No, but there are somelike like 40-odd species of Ladybird known to our shores and an aggregation of ladybirds is called a "loveliness" which, granted, is pretty useless trivia.

Did you happen to notice how many spots they had in their backs?

[Mamyalynne]

Some info from last year here...

http://wildlifearticles.co.uk/the-ladybird-invasion-what-you-need-to-know/

[-SharonA-]

Kill them!!!

[naomi24]

When I moved into my house a couple of years ago I opened the French doors in my sitting room for the removal men to bring in larger pieces of furniture, only to find that the hinged side of the left hand door was filled top to bottom with hibernating ladybirds. Thousands of them. Horrible! How they got in there I've no idea, but I sucked them up the hoover. When your guests wake up they'll be swarming all over your house.

[Cloverjo]

I'd get rid of them, too. Never seem like that before, but you don't want them swarming around your house.

They can give a bit of a nip too, I think.

[Fitzer]

Why on earth would you kill them, we have them over wintering in the apex of our garden room every year, they do no harm whatsoever and disappear in spring to eat all the garden nasties.

[hereIam]

Yes Fitzer, ladybirds are renowned for eating all the bugs that eat our plants and I've never known them to bite ! I'd let them live too.

[naomi24]

They can live wherever they like outside my house - but not inside it.

[Chipchopper]

Yep, I get them overwintering in the frame of a double glazed window panel.
very few get in the house.
Congratulations for not wanting to kill them.

[gingejbee]

What kind of oddball do you have to be to kill ladybirds?

[-SharonA-]

^^^ well if you had a plague of harlequin ladybirds, believe you me, you would be killing them too. Nasty things!!

[naomi24]

//What kind of oddball do you have to be to kill ladybirds?//

One who doesn’t want thousands of beetles invading her home – not even the pretty looking ones. Weird.

Actually, the Harlequin variety //has become something of a domestic and agricultural pest in some regions, and gives cause for ecological concern.//

That from Wiki.

[Biccylova]

Thank you all, I didn't notice how many spots they have so they could be any type, thanks mamyalynne that told me lots about ladybirds I would not like to kill any of them though, I think what will be will be, the world changes in lots of ways all the time, including the wild life,and always has done.