A Plague Of Biblical Proportions

seems that we've been swarmed by millions of these tiny critters and we've spent the better part of the day vacuuming them up and discarding them. In the heat of the moment we were certain that we were the objects of divine displeasure and the beetles were sent as some sort of punishment.

Initially we tried to keep the bugs out but they foiled us repeatedly, flooding into the cracks and crevices offered to them by our 100 year old farm cottage. One of the little suckers even found it’s way into our projection tv, causing us great distress.



These pesky asian lady beetles made their first appearance in our fair state in 1992 and their numbers have been increasing ever since. In Asia they hibernated in the crevices of tall cliffs, but here they seem to prefer to find repose in our walls and attics. They're pretty smart too, because they use "chemical cues" to find their favorite stomping grounds from year to year. I'm fairly certain that my house has become a favorite with them because each year they've come back, with this year’s visit resulting in record numbers.

We couldn't even walk outside when the swarm began because we quickly became covered by these invaders. In our panic-crazed efforts to dislodge them from our bodies we must have smashed quite a few, and that was a huge mistake because they really stink when they are smashed and the fluid that is emitted then permanently stains anything it touches.

By the way, you can thank the US government for the introduction of this wonderful little bug. They were imported as early as 1916 in order to control troublesome insect populations. You can certainly be sure that I spent my day yesterday thanking our government profusely.