Hi: This afternoon, we have been invaded by ladybugs on our balcony. Its quite warm today but I have never seen so many-there must be at least 100 or so and some more on the neighbours house. Have any of you noticed any recently?
Sounds about right. Each year, as the weather turns cold, they seek warm places to overwinter. They seek shelter in my enclosed balcony and reemerge in the spring.
I was at the Queen Elizabeth Conservatory today (inside) and saw what seemed to be about 2000 - huge clumps on a bench and on the plants nearby, just in one very small area. I thought maybe the gardeners had purchased a box of them and dumped them there. I didn't see any aphids. Some years there is a day when I seem to have about 100 bugs that look like ladybugs in my apartment. I just keep the balcony door open, and in a day or two, they all leave. I don't find them on my balcony when they leave the apartment.
Thanks for the article, Junglekeeper. It makes me wonder where they go when they disappear. I thought they left, but maybe they're around and hiding. Well, I don't mind sharing my place. As I understand it, I'm already sharing it with many thousand little creatures anyway. I was at the Conservatory again today, a week later, and a lot of them are still there, though it seems like fewer than last week. I managed to get some photos this time.
Hundreds hibernate overwinter up in the attic here, between the insulation and the roof, and sometimes see them in a storage shed between plastic and the outside structural lumber in circular groups. Expect they are hibernating in the house walls also, as they seem to start appearing around the window moldings when it warms up in the spring. The odd one will be black with a couple of red spots.
