Sunday, March 12, 2017

Beetlemania

It's not an incredible simulation. It's an actual beetle. We've had an invasion of beetles this past month. Only in the kitchen. These little versions of ladybugs are getting in somehow and are climbing the walls. And the curtains.

A very tiny beetle on the kitchen curtain, just above a spot that has been darned (but not by me).

This is the first time that we've seen so many little beetles so early in the year. It's hard to tell if they're hatching indoors or outdoors. We only see them in the kitchen, the rest of the house is spared.

11 comments:

  1. What size are North American ladybird beetles? This one is a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis, which is a large species for a ladybird. Based on the scale provided by the net I would say this beetle is about 7-8mm. It and its mates will have been hibernating somewhere in your house and have emerged with the warm weather.

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    1. susan, the holes in that netting are 1mm square, which makes that beetle 2mm x 3mm. Very small! But the beetles we are seeing in the house are all different sizes, larger and smaller than this one. Our American ladybugs (as we call them) are pretty much the same size as the classic coccinelles (red and black) here.

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  2. Ah, the close-ups! I wonder if Bertie has any interest in these. Being in and out, he's probably got bigger fish to fry.

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  3. I think we call them lady birds. They are welcome visitors to clean off aphids on your roses. While not for a few years, we have had them on our balcony at times.

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  4. we have them now here in NC if it's an especially sunny & warm day....they are both inside and outside the windows, but just on one side of the house, both upstairs & down....harmless but annoying....i felt one crawling on me at night & it really freaked me out!

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  5. They are up to no good, that's for certain.

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  6. they are helpful insects and a good luck symbol!

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  7. Very cool photo Walt! We just saw a ladybug caught between the window and the screen...no idea how "she" got there!

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  8. I saw a few on our bedroom window and also saw a couple a robin.
    Coffee is on

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  9. mitch, he shows no interest in these, no. Mice, yes.

    andrew, yes, I think you do. And we do get them in the vegetable garden and that's a good thing!

    melinda, that would be a little creepy!

    michael, I'm almost certain that they're not triffids.

    anne marie, I hope so!

    christine, they get into the most amazing spaces.

    dora, spring is coming!

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  10. Your spring is earlier than polish one

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