Topic: Harlequin ladybirds

[Multiveg]

Not only do these eat vast amounts of greenfly, I believe they also eat native ladybirds.
A survey is being carried out http://www.harlequin-survey.org/ and if you spot them, please record your siting.

When hungry, harlequin ladybirds will bite humans in their search for something edible

[GREENWIZARD]

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[Marianne]

It's such a shame they eat our ladybirds as they look so very sweet!

They are probably a stronger breed than the local ladybirds.  I couldn't possibly catch them to send to a lab ...  :'(

[eileen]

I've also heard that they also have no compunction about biting humans and that the bite can be very painful as they tend to 'hang on' instead of dropping off immediately after biting..

I'd, personally, rather see our own varieties of ladybird any day than this alien intruder and would have no qualms about sending it off to a lab or to insect heaven!!

[GREENWIZARD]

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[Gardenantics]

Don't you think the guy's on the bottom row look like Darth Mawl from Star Wars! "May the force be with you"

Brian

[kitty]

ha!yes-i think he is a bit like him!
i looove ladybirds-when we moved in here one of our moving in gifts was a grow your own set of lady birds-it has all the doo-dads(mostly a plastic box!and when the weather is warmer you send of for the eggys and voila!your own lady bird farm!
those incomers are a bit scary tho-but,ordinary lady birds bite too!
i remember(o no!you old lady you)the summer of '76(pause for .well..quite a few people to think back and smile nostalically.....a time when gardeners were gardeners and gm was a far off twinkle in a mad scientists eye.....anyway-i digress-where was i?????)
o yes-the summer of '76-working at the findus factory in grimsby-student holidays you know.....and there were swarms of the little b******sand bite?
BITE? :o
i should say-held up the frozen pea production too! ::)

multiveg-i think we only really need to worry when we notice they've chomped thru an entire leg!... ;D

[quinny]

Death to the Harlequin - that's what I say...   Just look at the poor we red squirrel!!

We need to protect our own - I'm for packaging those little BUGgers up and sending them back to Asia never mind MICHAEL MAJERUS in cambridge.

There's some dodgy fish eating their way through our waterways as well - can't remember their name - there's an annual electrocution though!  What say we all get those cooker lighters and do them all in...

HHHHaaaa HHaaah hhaa haaa haaa!!!! >:( >:( >:(

[BAGGY]

I got munched last year by a native lady bird and boy did it smart !  I for one will be sending any interlopers packing.  I read somewhere that they are larger than our native ones by about half, so if the bite is half as much again - youch  !!!!
I also saw a thingy about the fish.  And Bill Oddie said that our native crayfish is on it's way out coz of an american one