The Lady Visitor

Each year since we moved into the Good House, we have enjoyed the company of a lady each winter… not a spectral lady as most would guess with an older home, but a lovely little lady…bug.

At first when the ladybug appeared in the third floor bathroom for a few months, I shrugged it off and forgot about it until the following year when once again, another one appeared. That was enough to peak my curiosity and I began to research “why is there a ladybug in my house”? As it turns out, ladybugs hibernate each fall and winter, usually in rocks, under forest debris, or under tree bark. But in suburban areas, where that isn’t available, they are attracted to light colored, older homes (leaking heat). And that my friends sums up the Good House!

My research led me to The Ladybug Lady website, which explained that ladybugs release pheromones to communicate with other ladybugs, for mating and hibernation. The Ladybug Lady explained that pheromones can be detected up to a 1/4 mile away, helping ladybugs find each other AND (more importantly) letting future generations of ladybugs find a good hibernation spot.

After reading more about ladybug hibernation, I came to understand that these adorable little insects can become an infestation of hundreds or thousands, but we haven’t come to that yet. So until our little visitor becomes like my mother-in-law, we will allow her/him (and descendants) to stay and make more memories in the Good House.