Monday, April 30, 2018

Ladybug invasion

I am sure you've noticed it's been a little quiet in this space. Like a month of quiet.

I am sure there is a reason for it, but I am not really sure why. I know I wasn't feeling like me. I was feeling overwhelmed with life. Maybe it was the end of a busy term and busy start of the year. I am feeling much better with myself. Drinking less, eating better and even exercising!

Our school holidays started off slow. Sleep ins and pyjama days, just the way I like it. There was slime making, a lot of slime making.  

There was also drives to see things we had not seen all together before.

Our region has a huge forest industry, in particular pine forests. Brett works in this industry, as a truck driver, carting pine chips from the forest to local mills. He came across the lady bugs on this stretch of road as he was working out of nearby forest at Wandilo near Mount Gambier.

Lady bugs were introduced to combat the aphids that were feeding on the pine trees. Every year for around two weeks, the lady bugs swarm and cluster like this. 

They also swarm like this near Mt Burr, just down the road from us, but this is the first time I had EVER seen it! It was amazing, and I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The kids were amazed too at how many there were. We ended up with lady birds in our hair, on our shoes, all over us! Summer thought it was so awesome that she didn't brush them off when she got in the car and we had ladybugs everywhere in the car too!

At the bottom of the stobie poles, the lady bugs were 15 - 20 centrimetres deep and they were right up to the top of the stobies. I had never seen anything like it!

Did you know they symbolise prosperity and luck?

A group of ladybugs or otherwise commonly known as ladybirds, is called a 'loveliness'.

Ladybird, ladybird,
Fly away home,
Your house is on fire
And your children all gone;
All except one
And that's little Ann,
And she has crept under
The warming pan.




















16 comments:

  1. I didn't know they did that - it can't be a good sign! Tho cute to see. Glad you're feeling better. I need to take breaks cos it just becomes a chore otherwise.

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    1. Life was becoming busy and somethings had to give for a while. I did miss my blog though, and all the wonderful people who come and visit x

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  2. I've never seen anything like this before! I love ladybugs, what amazing pics! Happy to hear you are feeling better :)

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    1. I love them too! So cool to see so many. Still saw one crawling in the car today!!

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  3. Hi Alicia! Glad you are better! Working out puts me in a better mood after i;m done! Than you so much for hosting

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  4. OMG I have never seen so many lady bugs ever! Great capture. Glad you are back - I have missed your updates. x

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  5. What an amazing post. I am sure ladybugs bring luck. You were so lucky to spot those beautiful creatures in such abundance.

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    1. Hopefully that means good things, lots of good things!

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  6. Magical! I was always on the lookout for ladybirds (but it seems these are ladybugs. Amazing experience for you all. I remember learning that poem as a kid but only knowing the first 4 lines. Lovely to see you back...and blogging needs to be something we NEED or WANT to do, not HAVE to do, right!? Denyse x

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    1. I'd heard the poem too, but not known about the last bit. So glad I got to see it. I've known that they swarmed like this, but never gone out of the way to see it. We were all mesmerised by them.

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  7. Such an amazing sight, you and your family are lucky to have seen this.
    And i love the pictures, especially the one with the little totem pole of ladybirds in the sea of ladybirds.

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    1. They were all congregating on a stick! It looked so surreal.

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  8. I have always loved ladybugs, such awesome pictures!
    www.thesweetestclementine.com

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    1. Thanks Marianna! Such beautiful little creatures :)

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