Lady Bug

Lady bug, lady bug, fly away .... do you remember the rest of this childhood poem? This photo was taken in one of Michigan's Lower Peninsula Church Gardens: St. Stanislaus in Bay City. Because Lady Bugs are perhaps the most celebrated of insects in the United States, one may not know how to handle the sudden boom in the local Lady Bug population Michigan has been experiencing. The good news is the insects are harmless to humans and beneficial to some types of agriculture, the bad news is that they eat some fruit crops, and are a nuisance when they start entering our homes. Also, if provoked, they can emit a stinky yellow substance which has been know to stain some surfaces. The brand of Lady Beetle entering our homes is relatively new to the mid-west. If you'd like to read more about it check out this site Michigan State University .