I'm talking about the beetles invasion. And I'm not referring to John, Paul, George and Ringo, unless of course these Asian lady beetles are prone to taking on the masculine names of famous musicians.
For approximately two weeks in the spring and fall I become a professional bug sucker. Using the highly technical apparatus pictured below, I stand guard at doors and windowsills, always on the ready to suck these bugs to their deaths.
*disclaimer* Do not try this at home. I have been through rigorous training and have logged many hours as an apprentice before becoming licensed to suck. (The ladder climbing class alone is enough to break most people.)
Hundreds upon hundreds of them. Into my hair they drop. The dog spends the entire time shaking himself silly, trying to keep them from buzzing into his ears. There's even one climbing on my keyboard as I'm typing this. The sound of the vacuum cleaner running is as much background noise as the television or radio. It's only for two weeks each time, but I'm telling you for those two weeks, I'm fit to be tied.The bright side? They're not termites. I've been there, done that too. Talk about insanity!
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14 comments:
Oh no! I usually love the little lady bugs and if one wanders into the house I will let it go outside. Unlike the spiders who get the flush! But I've never had to deal with hundreds - good luck!
Oh Mags, you're killing me! Ladybugs are my motto - why do you think I have one on my logo? I love, love, love the little things and you're murdering them? Course I've never had to deal with hundreds and anything that bugs my dog..well that's the end of it. The good news is at least they don't bite!
Retirement = bug sucking?
LOL! What you need is a Bug-Zilla! It sucks them into a cylinder which you can then take outside to release them, so they can keep all the bad bugs (like aphids) off plants in your yard and/or garden.
I mean, Dang! I have to buy those suckers through the mail every year... for MONEY.
Barbara: Oh I think they're adorable! It's just that there are so many of them and they fall from the ceiling into food, coffee, frying pans, etc.
June: Aw shucks. I'm sorry! I'll look into Snooty's contraption she mentioned and see if there's a more human way of capturing them and releasing them back outside (so they can find their way back in again...lol)
Dyan: LOL... well, it's part of retirement I guess you could say!
Snooty: Thanks for the info. I found something called Bugzooka which is what I think you were describing. Great idea! And... feel free to come and grab as many as you possibly can off my ceiling!
I love lady bugs, but only one at a time. If I find one in the house, I carefully scoup up the little lady and put her outside. An infestation is another story.
Moogie: I'm going to consider 400-500 bugs an infestation. And they make such a mess on my blinds!
Mags, I couldn't put up with that many of the little beauties. If you have a Barbecue's Galore nearby, go pick up a bug zapper - looks like a tennis raquet and runs off batteries. Works like a darn - even zaps scorpions and giant roaches. Just don't touch yourself with it or you'll end up with hair frizz! BTDT LOL
Yuck... I'm not a huge fan of any bugs. Reading your post definitely reminded me of when we lived in an apartment and had termites. While waiting for the rental company to deal with the issue, I would sit on the couch and suck up the termites w/ vacuum as they crawled across the floor. I was not a happy camper.
aren't these those really cute lady bugs??
You know, we love them, but I've heard if you live in an area they migrate through (and you must!) they can be a real pain. Don't some garden supply places carry pheromone bait for bugs? I wonder if there's one for lady bugs and if placing one outside might help. Good luck dealing with the little things!
June: LOLOL! I'm laughing but that sounds painful!
Jen: I feel your pain. We had termites in our last home and didn't know it until they came chewing through the wallpaper.
Lady P: Yup, they're the cute ones alrighty. But they get ugly in a hurry when there's hundreds of them!
Alyssa: I should check into that bug bait thing. From what I've learned about these bugs so far (online)about the only thing you can do is suck them up with a vacuum.
but you can't kill a lady bug! she's a lady! and so cute! :) although if that many were in my house... yikes!
Actually, the orange ones aren't lady bugs, they're a form of Japanese beetle. True lady bugs are red. So, you shouldn't feel bad about sucking them up. :)
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