One is cute, 1500 is a bit Biblical.
The box looked the size and type that would have, say, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in it. There was a square cut-out in the lid covered in mesh.
So I expected a mesh bag inside with, y’know, a twisty tie or something.
Richard had thought that ladybugs for our yard would be a good idea, and for eight bucks towards doing good to the environment wherever they might go off to, why not, so he bought me some. Computer scientists and bugs and all that.
So here he was Saturday night, flashlight in hand to help me watch my step out there (he’s a good one) as we went out onto the back patio. The ladybugs were more likely to stay in the area you put them in if it’s dark out.
But it was actually pretty well lit right there on the patio side of the window and I thought I’d start with a few over at the amaryllis pots on the picnic table. I lifted the lid.
And gave a small yelp and jumped back–but at least I didn’t drop the thing.
“What’s wrong?”
I mumbled something about there were bugs in there and a mass of them were coming at my hands and okaynevermindyeahthatwasstupid.
I tried to make sure they were aimed away from me at all times as we walked around playing Johnny Appleseed at nature, having no way to see if they were blowing back into our hair (don’t even THINK that!) Amaryllis. Fling! Page Mandarin. Fling! Cherry. Fling! Apple. Fling! Pear. Fling fling double fling leave the lid there too on that one and let them sort themselves out.
And some on the lemon, since I hadn’t quite been able to persuade the last of them to leave the cup part at the previous stop.
I woke up in the morning thinking, wow, did we just feed the birds dessert first or what?
But I saw at least one if not two ladybugs on every one of the baby fruit trees when I gave them a quick check, so, so far so good.
The ice cream box had little specks all over the bottom. I have no idea if there are eggs in there or if it’s all just bug poop. I think I’ll give it a few days. That I don’t have to go near it.