Author Topic: Who let out all the Lady Bugs? (Read 65097 times)

Nolena · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 09, 08, 06:50:18 PM »

I've hiked in the canyons for years.
Lady bugs over-winter every year in these canyons. I've stepped in them 1-2 feet deep in the winter.
They overwinter here. Then they come out in the spring. (And they bite when they first come out.)

samsonite · « **Reply #22 on:** May 08, 09, 11:58:40 AM »

My understanding has always been that the Forest Service releases ladybugs every year as a part of some program.

Doe anyone know if that's really true, or is this just a natural population of ladybugs that comes through every year?

Wrightwood · « **Reply #23 on:** May 08, 09, 01:05:01 PM »

The rest of the Wrightwood urban legend is that they are dropped from black helicopters

They are part of nature that we are so lucky to experience in Wrightwood.

There is other topics on this and I've merged them.

Nolena · « **Reply #24 on:** May 08, 09, 01:22:12 PM »

They over-winter in the mountain canyons. If you hike in the winter, you will find them in crevices. I once stepped in some that were about a foot deep. They switch off on who is on the outside and who is on the inside. When it gets warm, they leave the huddle, and we see them down here.

Laughlinguy · « **Reply #25 on:** May 08, 09, 01:43:37 PM »

I'm coming to WW in 2 weeks, camera at the ready. Does anyone know how long the ladybugs stay around?

kew · « **Reply #26 on:** May 08, 09, 03:47:55 PM »

Several year ago my neighbor, on Linnet, called me over to her yard. She lifted up a low branch on a bush and there had to be more than a thousand lady bugs in a big ball under the bush.

tach18k · « **Reply #27 on:** May 10, 10, 10:35:35 AM »

I have been up the past 3 weekends and not till this past one have I noticed the thousands of Ladybugs all over the property, Just everywhere, that is good news, wish we had more off the hill.

Cardinal · « **Reply #28 on:** May 10, 10, 11:19:18 AM »

There are some who believe that they are dropped by the millions from low flying helicopters. Others believe that this is just the time that they finally come out of hibernation.

Wrightwood · « **Reply #29 on:** May 31, 10, 01:36:35 PM »

I noticed a black helicopter up near Blue Ridge earlier today and now the air is filled with ladybugs

Surfer_Dude · « **Reply #30 on:** May 31, 10, 01:41:19 PM »

What is known as "The Red Storm" is triggered by an ever so faint humming noise that calls all ladybugs to Wrightwood.

ForestGal · « **Reply #31 on:** May 31, 10, 01:56:45 PM »

I thought they were all in my yard!

My little dachshund has been out back for several hours, chasing ladybugs. I wish I had 1 percent of her energy!

InTheWood · « **Reply #32 on:** May 31, 10, 02:55:58 PM »

After hibernating the lady bugs fly to the peaks to mate. Then they fly down the hill.

Last year the family and I hiked Baden Powell early in the season (still had snow on the middle parts of the trail) and at the top we found millions of lady bugs.

Too much snow left this year so we didn't make the same hike but it sure seems like they are done with the mating part of their life cycle and on the way down to the suburbs.

Wrightwood · « **Reply #33 on:** May 31, 10, 07:14:27 PM »

Another helicopter hovered Blue Ridge late today.. we'll see on Tuesday

lagomorphmom · « **Reply #34 on:** May 31, 10, 07:31:45 PM »

Did a little searching and found the following:

Ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens) converging on a dead log in the San Gabriel Mountains
http://www.placeworld.com/record-rainfall/4400-ladybugs.html

and

Pinnacles National Monument - Nature & Science

http://www.nps.gov/archive/pinn/pphtml/5highlights396.html

I wonder if this is our (only?) species?

Nolena · « **Reply #35 on:** Jun 04, 10, 06:35:15 AM »

This is the only species that I drop from my helicopter.

Wrightwood · « **Reply #36 on:** Apr 30, 15, 10:01:17 AM »

Lady bugs are out of hibernation - not dropped from helicopters and they are not used to fight off bark beetles.

From Facebook this morning:
Chuck Carroll Where did you hear they eradicate bark beetles? This has never been discussed or mentioned in any Fire Safe Council or Fire agency (state, county or federal) as a means of handling bark beetles, they do not kill bark beetles. Lady bugs are not dropped by plane, these are a natural occurrence. Years ago this was discussed, but not sure if acted upon.

Wrightwood · « **Reply #37 on:** Apr 30, 15, 10:26:16 AM »

Don't know if this is why people think ladybugs are released

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
In response to the expansion, the USDA Forest Service has increased research on predators for biological control. A predaceous ladybug, discovered in Japan by a Connecticut researcher, has been tested and reared as a biological control-agent ladybug. This ladybug feeds exclusively on HWA. Mass releases of 125,000 adelgid-eating ladybugs were made in selected locations during 1999.

http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/publications/update99/issues2.html

jek134 · « **Reply #38 on:** Jan 16, 16, 02:50:02 PM »

Our ladybugs have returned. I just noticed our fence is crawling with ladybugs. When we first bought our place up here in 2011, we had mountains of ladybugs outside on our back porch. Haven't seen them since. Today, maybe because of the sun melting the ice, our fence is crawling with them. Very cute.

Wrightwood · « **Reply #39 on:** Jan 16, 16, 03:09:05 PM »

There was a helicopter flying in town last night

Author Topic: Who let out all the Lady Bugs? (Read 65097 times)

GRAHAM_RANCH

samsonite

kew

Cardinal

InTheWood