On 2016-07-30 2:55 PM, Je�us wrote:
> On Sat, 30 Jul 2016 11:17:27 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>
>>> NSian ones are kinder, gentler types. If there are many in one go I
>>> take a piece of paper, sweep them on to it with my hands or if one or
>>> two, just pick them up. Never been bitten.
>>
>> I don't think I have ever been bitten by a native lady bug. It was only
>> after we were swarmed by the Asian variety that I started getting
>> bitten. It wouldn't be so bad if they were not so effective at finding
>> their way into houses.
>
> For some reason we don't seem to have ladybugs here, although they're
> certainly on the mainland.

Our native ladybugs are cute little critters and quite harmless. The
Asian variety come in overwhelming numbers and they bite. I don't
suppose there is any connection between them and Japanese Beetles. We
never had them until maybe 10 years ago. The like to eat the leaves on
certain plants and trees, like evening primrose, raspberries, rhubarb,
birch and wisteria. It wouldn't be bad if the came in small numbers but
when these guys appear they come in vast numbers. One year the showed
up and started working on my wisteria. I sprayed it with Sevin and when
I went back an hour later there were thousands of dead Japanese beetles
dead or dying on my patio, and that was from just two plants on a trellis.



> Can we change the subject from hamsters to
> hipsters? I saw some again yesterday and we should really be doing
> something about culling their numbers.
>


They seem to be internationally considered to be annoying.