Ladybug invasion paints Colorado town red
Photo: 9NEWS When
a reporter with a bug phobia ventured out to Jefferson County to cover
a story about a ladybug invasion, he told himself repeatedly that the
little red bugs were harmless and cute. They don’t bite. Kids like them.
So Chris Vanderveen of 9NEWS
was okay with the whole situation when he arrived on scene and a
four-year-old boy showed him a few dozen ladybugs convened on a drain
spout outside his parents’ home. This wasn’t too scary, and it
certainly wasn’t the ‘crazy’ number of ladybugs he had been told to
expect.
Then he reached the infested house at the top of a mountain.
“There were dozens of them floating in the air. And then we saw
the back of the house. That very well could have been the moment that I
lost my you know what,” Vanderveen reported on the 9NEWS website.
“They were covering the man's house. There were thousands of them.
They landed on my shirt. They crawled up my pants. A couple were
clearly squished in the bottom of my shoe. And yes, one even flew into
my mouth.”
Check out this video by Kids Talk Politics:
The town, which doesn’t want the media knowing its exact location
for fear of an influx of tourists, has so many ladybugs buzzing about
that some trees, homes and grassy areas are just a mass of red.
The insects are out in force in the Front Range region of Colorado
thanks to increased rainfall during spring and early summer. The
additional moisture has made their food supply plentiful so their
numbers have increased by 15 to 20 percent.
For Chris Vanderveen, the ladybug invasion was a chance to get
over his fear of flying insects – at least temporarily. As they crawled
up his leg, dropped down his shirt, took up residence in his hair and
continued to fly toward his mouth, Vanderveen realized that they’re
just ladybugs after all – nothing to be afraid of. But that doesn’t
mean his phobia is gone for good.
“As for those pesky moths, yep, I still hate 'em. And I'm pretty sure they don't taste like chicken either.”
Stephanie Rogers is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network, where this post originally appeared.
More from Mother Nature NetworkNew clues found to disappearing honey bees
World's largest orb-weaving spider discovered
World's largest orb-weaving spider discovered
You do not appear to have Yahoo! Messenger installed. Click here to download and install it.
- Subscribe to Y! Green Featured Articles
- Subscribe to Y! Green News
Past Blog Entries
- Search for Loch Ness Monster nets 100,000 golf balls
- 10 ways to catch germs over the holidays
- Bare bears baffle zookeepers with baldness
- Giant jellyfish sinks 10-ton Japanese ship
- 10 tasty flu-fighting foods
Leave a Comment:
You must first sign in.
More Green Stories
-
Slow-cooker side dishes for Thanksgiving
These recipes will delight guests -- and leave the cook with time to mingle.
-
10 ways to catch germs over the holidays
Parties and family gatherings mean more chances to catch up -- and catch a cold.
-
Too much of a good thing
Aren't there some things that you just can't have too much of? Not really.
comments from our community
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 comments
Post Comment