ladybug phobia, conquered

The summer between fifth and sixth grade, my friend Darcy invited me to go on vacation with her family.  They had a cabin (or house, I do not remember anything about where we stayed) in Bear Valley.  There was a gorgeous lake that I do remember, and there was this incident, and it involved ladybugs.

Did you know that when ladybugs get the urge to make more ladybugs they swarm on tree trunks?  (At least, that’s why I imagine they do that. . . )  Like, totally obscuring the bark, swarm.  Like this, for instance.  Darcy had an older brother, (sorry about the link, I spent a huge amount of time looking for something else, but I seem to be google impaired tonight) and he brought a friend.  And, they had some empty tennis ball cans, which they FILLED with ladybugs from the ladybug covered trees and upended down the backs of our shirts. 

That was the same summer I first peed outside, but that indignity was absolutely eclipsed by the billions of ladybugs crawling all over me.  I was terrified of those little things for years.  I’m not kidding.  Shut up.

This morning, some twenty five years later (eek), I went to admire the lovely roses blooming in the yard and saw this:

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And, you know what that means.

It means this:

Ladybugs_002 I did so well, though.  I even let some crawl on my fingers without having a panic attack!

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See me?  Shaking them on to the aphid-ridden roses?  Bravely I shake!

The girls were not afraid.

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Also, look at the work I did!

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And that picking and planting was done directly after eating the balsamic glazed baked carrots and broccoli/spinach/garlic/red pepper flake stir fry I made for supper.  (I’m either hating myself or totally bragging.  Is there no middle ground??)

THEN I went to Tarjay and THEN I went next door to TJ maxxxxx and scored four new tops for less than what I spent on diapers and wipes at Tarjay.

And now I will go to sleep satisfied and not have ladybug nightmares. 

10 thoughts on “ladybug phobia, conquered

  1. D

    Well Jenijen, when you go out early some morning only to find that slimey little snails have been carousing in your garden, you can use broken egg shells to cure that…. the only problem? it make bring back memories of when the girls were raiding the fridge & into smashing eggs by the dozen!!!!!!

    Reply
  2. marian

    We get ladybug swarms here during their mating season and those things are NOT friendly. They bite really hard when they’re in that mode, I tell ya.

    Reply
  3. capello

    Huh. I was/am going to write about the ladybugs tomorrow, as my roses were covered in aphids as well. We purchased 1750 ladybugs yesterday, which I let out around the yard.

    A whole swarm of them stayed on my hands and arms and started biting. Ouch!

    But my rose bushes do look much better.

    Reply
  4. capello

    Pretty bacopa, by the way. That stuff gets friend here by the middle of June, so I don’t bother.

    But I am seriously jealous if that lasts all summer in your garden.

    Reply
  5. ashley

    oh wow i didnt know another person was afraid of ladybugs! now i don’t feel so strange! congrats on overcoming your fear….i’m still working on it….
    <3

    Reply
  6. susie

    What is the scientific name for it. Because I get teased so bad for my phobia of ladybugs, I just want to know what it’s called.

    Reply

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