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December 09, 2004
The Ladybug Picnic that wouldn't end
Did anyone else notice the large numbers of Asian ladybugs this year? They're lighter colored than the typical ladybug and they like to come inside. There's a little hole in the wall of my office so the precious internet can come inside and the not so precious ladybugs have found their way in as well. It gets kind of cold in my office this time of year so the ladybugs that are still alive are clustered in a big pile clinging to the SW corner of the room where the wall meets the ceiling. When it gets a little bit warmer, a few wander away from the pile and cruise the walls. If one gets within reach, I flick it across the room. They usually start flying and land somewhere out of reach. If I was five years old I'd smash the whole pile of 'em and smear the orange innards all over the wall, but that's sorta gross now that I'm 32.
I've heard they were originally imported to control aphid infestations, but what is going to get rid of the ladybugs? Don't tell me. Pigeons [tree rats, gutterbirds] will kill the ladybugs and then we'll need to import Bolivian tree lizards to take care of the pigeons and Chinese needle snakes to kill the lizards, and then that "fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat" to kill the snakes. Hopefully by the time the gorillas get too numerous it'll be cold enough for the beasts to freeze to death like they're supposed to.
[UPDATE] - One just landed on my monitor as I was typing something about what needs to be shown to prove a likelihood of damage under the Lanham Act. There's not an orange smear on my monitor, but there almost was.
Posted by Half-Cocked at December 9, 2004 12:19 AM
Comments
My question in all of this: what kind of trademark would that orange smear have been?
Posted by: Shelley at December 9, 2004 02:00 AM
i noticed the bugs this year, especially when they BIT ME. a ladybug has never bit me before!
and the "fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat" totally describes our knitting circles.
Posted by: julee at December 9, 2004 09:48 AM
Shelley, I guess that all depends on whether I'm selling ladybugs or microwaves.
Posted by: Steve at December 9, 2004 02:39 PM
I like Ladybug Transistor.
Posted by: musclehead at December 10, 2004 03:34 PM
"They played jump rope, but the rope, it broke, so they just sat around tellin' knock-knock jokes. Ladybugs twelve, at the ladybug picnic."
Posted by: Thomas at December 10, 2004 06:03 PM
Thomas, thank you for the Sesame Street props. I played "Crabs" at Duffy's tonight in your honor.
Posted by: Steve at December 12, 2004 02:11 AM