Maybe it’s been too warm to make them want to come inside. Or maybe I’m getting better at closing the door. But I’ve been seeing fewer of the usual home invaders we usually get this time of year.
The past few years, there seem to be a steady stream of various bugs that want to get warm. Like swarms of lady beetles and those Western Conifer Seed Bugs.
The last couple years, the minute it starts to cool off, the bugs seem to start wanting to get indoors. I guess you really can’t blame them. They’re just looking for a nice warm space to sped some time. I like a nice warm place to spend the winter, too. I just am not big on sharing with a large variety of insects.
The Western Conifer Seed Bug, which some people refer to as stink bugs, aren’t too bad. They’re just annoying. I rarely see them until after dark, when they like to fly around bumping into whatever light source is closest to where I happen to be sitting. They seem to have taken flying lessons from June bugs, since they aren’t overly coordinated. After getting bumped into a few times, I usually like to try to help them in their mission of trying to keep warm by showing them the inside of the woodstove.
There’s one issue. If you crush them, they give off an odour similar to cilantro. Cilantro is one of those things that people either love or hate. I like it. It makes me think of salsa. But if I don’t have any salsa and chips handy, they just make me hungry. To those that don’t like the smell of cilantro, it’s a smell they really find nasty.
The lady beetles are a different story. The lady beetles we used to have, the ones who liked to stay outside, are rarely seen these days. They have been pushed aside by a couple different types of lady bugs that are a bit more aggressive. And by aggressive I mean some of these things bite. Hard.
So I’m really not missing either one of these. But it does seem strange to not see them around. Or any other small creatures who might be looking for a warm place to spend the winter.
Although the way fuel prices have been going, if they’re willing to chip in on the heat bill, I might change my mind.
