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I have seen several ladybirds around my garden that are perched over what looks like a cocoon of a smaller ladybird. The LB's stay there for days & flinch when you move near them.
What's going on?

Oh sounds interesting keep us informed.
One came in today on OH shirt he must have thought I was mental made him stand still while I scooped it up to send it outside not the normal red ones a black one but it did not bite so I was quite happy.

Ah I love ladybirds, they have to be my favourite insect!
I've never been quite sure where they stand in relation to my crop though, will they eat all my lovely veg or can I leave them alone to live happily ever after if I see any around? Probably a stupid question, but worth making sure....!
Also, I've heard that some bite and are mildly poisonous to hold/touch. Does anyone know if this is true?  ???
Thanks

Ladybirds are a gardeners friend as they eat aphids, blackfly etc. if you have them you are lucky - encourage them by providing plants they like and nesting ladybird boxes.

There are some nasties which have similarities to ladybirds such as harlequin beetle and lily beetle (do a search here for more information on this so you can spot them).

Ladybirds definitely do bite!  I got munched on the plot a year or so ago right on my exposed belly  :(  It was like someone holding a lit cigarette on your skin so I flicked it off and it fell down my shorts.  You have never seen me move so fast  ;D  I still have a mark where I was viciously attacked.  It must be because I am such a delicate little princess (yeah right !)

Must have been a love bite.

I was bitten on the inside of my elbow by a ladybird, when I was a kid :o As Baggy said, it's like a burning sensation.
I hadn't known they bit until then, so it was a bit of a shock! LOL!
Hasn't put me off them, though. I still love them and do everything I can to keep them in the garden.
I've seen a couple this year, which I'm really pleased about ;D

wow! I had no idea cute little ladybirds could be so mean. Perhaps these were the other species that westsussexlottie mentioned?
I remember one year when I was a child we were absolutely swarmed with them and I'm not exaggerating at all when I say our whole front garden had a red coating over it - think I did well not to get bitten by the sounds of it!
Good news that I don't have to worry about them on my veg though, thanks for that!  ;D

Think that was the late seventies - I was a child and I was cruel to them  :-[ - if only I knew what I know now.

PS I Love

Bumble Bees
Ladybirds
Hover Flies
Ground Beetles

i had a summer job at findus in grimsby-1976 it was-the year of the ladybird...we had to throw lorry loads of peas away as they were red with ladybirds..the whole factory was swamped with them-and they did bite!! :o
i have been breeding ladybirds  for the past few weeks but something has gone wrong i think-they arent coming out of their pupa stage... :'( :'( :'(
it was a kit that a kind friend bought me as a moving in prezzie...she knows i love ladybirds-i also collect ladybird stuff-no end of mugs and things! ;D

I remember that too being the old codger that i am ;D

We were in Great Yarmouth on our holidays and  even the pavements were filled with them, as you walked you could hear this crunching sound and my mum kept on making us clean them off our shoes.

How do i word this  :-\  How does the kit work kitty?  ;D

So.................. erm.................*cough*...............ah.............. does anyone know the answer to my question or has this thread turned into the AGM of The Ladybird Appreciation Society!  ;D

QuoteI have seen several ladybirds around my garden that are perched over what looks like a cocoon of a smaller ladybird. The LB's stay there for days & flinch when you move near them.
What's going on?

well..to answer your original question bun...the bigger ladybirds are known as 'bullybirds'they wait until the smaller ladybirds aren't looking then rush in and pinch things from their larder.
the small ones flich because i suspect you are wearing red and black and they think you are one big mother of a ladybird and act accordingly.





actually i dont know.did you guess?


honey-you get a biggish cardboard box weith a seethru tupperware type box,inside-when the temp warms up-you send off the enclosed postcard and 'they' send youa small box full of ;itt;e wiggly things.
in the tupperware box is a concertina shaped piece of paper and you tip the smaller box of wiggly things onto it-with these were 8 phials of frozen pollen and sugar(you keep these in the freezer..so in effect they are noshing pollen lollies-yum!)every otherday you tip a phial of food on the concertina and close the lid-they all scurry around munching and sleeping...then when the food runs out-by now they are quite large torpedo shaped wigglers,black with 4 orange spots on their backs.....
then when the food wends..they sleep and lo!they pupate into beautiful ladtbirds...and you set them free...
except mine seem to be stuck at the pupate stage.....i dont really know what to do-i did everything by the book... :'(
i'll probably have to keep them forever and ever as i'd have nightmaeres if i {{{shuddr}}}threw them away and they were ALIVE!!!!!!!!!but dormant...it would be like a hammer horror-
then the sequel..
Revenge of the Killer  Ladybirds..
see kitty being eaten alive!!!!!!!!
see kitty squirm!!!!!

so....there you have it..
glad you asked huh?????? ;D

??? I'm sure that I have read somewhere that ladybirds do not bite, they have a strong grip that feels like a nip more than a bite and your gut reaction is to flick the little buggers off. I seem to remember years ago we were infested with them and peeps were very weary of them as they felt the nip on their skin. Was it around 1987 does anyone recall? ???

pay attentin that man :-* ;)i refer youto me post furthur back roy-1976 it was-felt like the little berhoogers bit anyway! ;)
PLUS!!!!!!!!
ladybird update--checked them this morning-100%success!they have all pupated into ladybirds!
*kitty does happy dance!*
wooghooooo!

 :o Oops! knuckles wrapped :o sorry Miss ;D

Bun.. so.....erm......etc THAT made me laugh..My son is always nagging me (big bully) by saying "keep to the point Mum" Looking at the replies to your question seems others are guilty of same :) Sorry can't answer your question but yes the ladybird invasion was about 1976. Lorna.

roy!
i do sound like a bossy g*t dont i? ;D ;)
thats prolly cos i am!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
ay.....1976.......seems like yesterday!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the info about the kit Kitty  ;D
And yes i am glad i asked  ;D

And yes, 1976 *goes into dreamy state*  ;D

wiggly lines going upwards.1976...1976...1   9   7   6. . . .

mamma mia..december '63..don't go breakin my heart...combine 'arvester...you to me are everything...

save all your kisses for me.oo-er!...praps not!

eeeee!them wer't days!!!!!! ;D
they dont write tunes like that anymore -its all bangin; and crashin'-i likes a proper tune i do! 8) ;)