Killer alien ladybirds!

delc

delc

Blackballed
Banned
Joined
Aug 19, 2011
Messages
5,375
Location
Hertfordshire
Visit site
We played golf at West Herts Golf Club yesterday. It was a lovely warm day, but our enjoyment was somewhat spoiled by swarms of Harlequin Ladybirds. These are an imported species which actually eat our native ladybirds. They were a damned nuisance, regarding us golfers as landing strips. We got covered in them, getting in our hair, up our noses, inside our specs and all over our clothing, especially if light coloured. One golfer accidentally swallowed one! I sincerely hope the cold weather will kill them off soon, but apparently they take refuge in people's houses over Winter. You have been warned! :(
 
Last edited:
Our office is plagued with them and has been for weeks. Same thing happened last year.

I saw a really horrid picture of them living in the roof of a gods mouth too.
 
Our native ladybirds are nice harmless little things that wouldn't hurt a fly, unless it is a greenfly (aphid) that is. The invading species seem to be nasty aggressive critters who will eat almost anything, including our ladybirds and even each other! :(
 
delc said:
Our native ladybirds are nice harmless little things that wouldn't hurt a fly, unless it is a greenfly (aphid) that is. The invading species seem to be nasty aggressive critters who will eat almost anything, including our ladybirds and even each other! :(
Click to expand...
Sounds like they come from the EU ;)
 
Yeah, we played Thorney Park in West Drayton on Friday and there were ladybirds bloody everywhere. Kept landing on us when trying to putt, crawling all over golf bags etc. Bloody nuisance!
 
Not being of massive intellect in the insect world. I always thought we had a glut of lady birds if we has a swarm of say greenfly a few weeks earlier. So what exactly are they feeding on? Anything?
 
Now got some on my landing window frame. Mrs wants them removed, so I guess it's vacuum cleaner time. Shame really, they aren't doing any harm.
 
They are not quite the "alien killer bugs " they are made out to be - but they do displace our native ones as they outcompete them for food (and they will eat ladybird larvae if other stuff is scars) But they can snarf up quite a good number of aphids on a good day, so they can't be all bad...

They do like to come inside for winter - so the hoover is the best bet if you don't like 'em there.
 
backwoodsman said:
They are not quite the "alien killer bugs " they are made out to be - but they do displace our native ones as they outcompete them for food (and they will eat ladybird larvae if other stuff is scars) But they can snarf up quite a good number of aphids on a good day, so they can't be all bad...

They do like to come inside for winter - so the hoover is the best bet if you don't like 'em there.
Click to expand...

Nevertheless, they seemed to be much more aggressive and numerous than our native ladybirds. I can't ever remember getting more than the odd ladybird landing on me before, but we were all getting covered in the things. One of my playing companions was wearing a white polo shirt and they seemed to be particularly attracted to that.
 
delc said:
Nevertheless, they seemed to be much more aggressive and numerous than our native ladybirds. I can't ever remember getting more than the odd ladybird landing on me before, but we were all getting covered in the things. One of my playing companions was wearing a white polo shirt and they seemed to be particularly attracted to that.
Click to expand...

Correct - they are more agressive and numerous than our native ones. Just that the media over-reacts by making out they'll eat the planet or something.

And correct, they tend to be attracted by lighter or paler colours.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top