Maybe instead of resurrecting banned members we should be hunting down appreciated members who left and trying to get them to return.

karaidl
mlx
michie
firefly
pigeon (who just might have left due to being profile-stalked by ant, it seems)
raven
james roe
ladybug
intangiblemeg
smibbo
edeot
daphne...

>> ^Nykwil:
Who knew that ladybugs were such thieves, the cute shell was a disguise the whole time!


Yeah, that is why I had to keep Ladybug (a former VS user) away from my aphids!

Who knew that ladybugs were such thieves, the cute shell was a disguise the whole time!

I've always loved ladybugs since I was a kid. And now that I'm older and love plants I see them as an Allie in protecting my roses.
anyway here's another cool ladybug link: http://www.videosift.com/video/Lady-Bug-Swarms
I couldn't find any ladybug docs. If someone would give me a link to one I'd be grateful.

>> ^ant:
Where did you say winter? I didn't see any months or season.

I am a firm believer in two things. Common sense, and interest in a subject. If people are interested in a subject, they use common sense to find out about it.

"Are we sure those are actually ladybugs?"

From http://www.ipm.msu.edu/beetleFAQ.htm

How can I tell a multi-colored Asian lady beetle apart from the ladybugs (or lady beetles) most of us are familiar with in Michigan?
This can be a little confusing because multi-colored Asian lady beetles are highly variable. While they all have the same shape they do not all share the same coloration and pattern of black dot marks. The color of their wing covers range from pumpkin-orange to mustard-yellow and even jet-black. They may have no black spots or as many as 20 of the ebony polka dots. In Michigan, the vast majority seem to be mustard-yellow and the number of spots range from zero to eighteen. Despite the wide variation in background color and number of spots, they all share a distinguishing mark on their pronotum. Viewing the beetle from it's topside, the pronotum is that small section that separates the head area from the abdomen (where the wing covers start). There is a mark on the pronotum that looks like a "W" or "M" depending upon whether you are looking at it from the front or rear. All multi-colored Asian lady beetles have this mark that domestic ladybugs lack.

Yeah, OBVIOUSLY there's no "M" or "W" marks on their pronotums.
/sarcasm

I, for one, welcome our new ladybug overlords.

>> ^Mashiki:
>> ^ant Ladybugs do swarm during winter like other insects.

Isn't that what I said?


Where did you say winter? I didn't see any months or season.

>> ^ant Ladybugs do swarm during winter like other insects.

Isn't that what I said?

>> ^Mashiki:
I can almost bet that there's some type of aphid issue in the area which is why they're swarming. About 5 or 6 years ago, I had something similar happen on my property up in Ontario, earlier in the year I had problems with aphids on everything. About 3 weeks later everything was swarming with ladybugs.


Ladybugs do swarm during winter like other insects.

>> ^quantumushroom:
http://www.videosift.com/video/What-Ladybugs-really-do-in-their-spar
e-time (also you didn't need the extra parameters after & in YouTube URL).

You insects are so damned touchy! Is it the rising cost of fire insurance?


No because you humans are pathetic. [grin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladybugs

The only reasons I can think of for such a swarm would either be a ladybug orgy, or that they've found a concentration of aphids.

What you are observing is a natural occurance it called a natural landing site or red gold. To learn more about Ladybugs and there migration a new blog called Hx. of the ladybug: http://historyoftheladybug.blogspot.com/

http://www.videosift.com/video/What-Ladybugs-really-do-in-their-spare-time (also you didn't need the extra parameters after & in YouTube URL).


You insects are so damned touchy! Is it the rising cost of fire insurance?

I can almost bet that there's some type of aphid issue in the area which is why they're swarming. About 5 or 6 years ago, I had something similar happen on my property up in Ontario, earlier in the year I had problems with aphids on everything. About 3 weeks later everything was swarming with ladybugs.