back in the mid 90's I lived on the shore of the bay and one day this time of year there were aisan beetle ladybugs coming out of the light fixture on the cieling in our kitchen, and so I unscrewed the fixture and there was a mass of them, I grabbed a five gallon bucket and they fell out the hole into the bucket until it was full and I ran outside and dumped the bucket of them into the bay and went back in the kitchen and filled another bucket with them and dumped it in the bay again and then another half a bucket, Vacuumed up the ones I missed with the bucket and never seen another one. I was afraid the attic was full to the rim with them for a moment
We have an exceptionally large number of them at my house this year. This is the most I've ever seen.
Thankfully, my house is buttoned up tight - which is kinda important in my neck of the woods. So, I don't get many of them inside - but some of the fuckers have even made it inside. Again, more than normal 'cause we're getting fucking hammered with them this year.
It's seriously a lot of them. We didn't get as many down in NC, where I lived before. When I lived in MA, I don't think they'd invaded the area yet. At least I don't remember them. So, I only have experience with them going back to 2008, as I didn't arrive in Maine (post retirement) until November of 2007, where I moved into the house across the road - which was full of dead bugs that got cleaned up by folks I hired to make that place livable.
So, it wasn't until 2008 that I really encountered them. At first, I thought they were lady bugs but my Registered Maine Guide (a pretty prestigious title and a hard-earned certification) told me they were invasive and not native to Maine. Not even the fish or birds prey on them, which means we have them in abundance.
Well, this year takes the cake. This is the most I've ever seen. I suspect it's down to the weather we've had. It has been exceptionally warm this year, as an average temperature. Shit, as an average temperature it's probably a record high. (I'm speculating.)
Amusingly, Maine's average YEARLY temperature is just 40°. So, I am 100% certain we're well above average - unless we get REALLY FUCKING COLD and we get that cold REALLY FUCKING SOON.
So, I speculate that it's down to the weather/temperatures.
Either way, we have billions of the fuckers. I'm sure they'll be dead soon.
when those fuckers were pouring out of the hole in the ceiling, I thought that they were not going to stop, there was no appearance of them stopping or slowing down, filling up five gallon buckets
It's fucking crazy how many we have this year.
They come around during the seasonal change. I want to say that they normally come earlier in the year? I am not positive. I don't pay that much attention, or at least don't recall the dates. They're not here in bulk long, but a few will manage to hide around and show up sometimes during the winter.
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