Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home!

The boys asked me to post these pictures of our Ladybug Release today. (Like they had to ask, lol!) This being the first really warm day of the year (seventy-TWO at last check) the send-off went well; all our little beetles flew off into the waiting arms of Spring, where we hope they each find nice little beetle homes to call their own. :)

Let me backtrack a moment, as you might be wondering how we acquired these ladybugs in the first place. Well, sometime after Christmas, Bookworm got it into his head to start "saving" the ladybugs who annually seek winter refuge in our upstairs bathroom. I'm not sure what kind of sanctuary our home ever turns out to be for them; mostly they just flit around a day or two and then promptly pass away. I guess considering the alternative (New England winters can be brutal), they figure they'll take their chances. Actually I doubt they do much figuring; it's probably all instinct. ;)

Anyway, it got to the point that Bookworm would stand for no more ladybug carnage if he could help it, so he made up the homemade habitat you see below and everytime we caught a ladybug, in she (or he) went.

Basically it's a Tupperware container with a pierced lid, potting soil spread on the "floor" and bits of soaked raisins and damp paper towels strewn about for sustenance. Amazingly most of the ladybugs did well, though sadly, we did lose quite a few. All in all, though, it was probably a nicer place to die than on the cold bathroom floor.

Here are some pictures of the little ladies as they prepared to fly away home ...

And then they were gone ...

We were a little melancholy about it to tell you the truth - and Crackerjack was downright sad. It was a lot of fun taking care of those bugs! But I reminded the boys we have a whole spring and summer's worth of buggy business to look forward to. Case in point, this baby bee who landed on Earlybird while he was swinging (and wouldn't come off!) ...

We let him go too, of course.

Our experience gave us much material for our new nature journals ~ the story of our ladybugs, and the tiny bee who befriended EB. A neat accompaniment to any pictures or journaling would be that lovely poem by Christina Rossetti which goes:

Hurt no living thing*:
Ladybird, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.

(*The exception of course being ticks; with ticks, all bets are off.)

But ticks notwithstanding, isn't that the perfect poem for this time of year, when all the little critters come creeping, crawling and buzzing back into our awareness? Oh, they're coming all right; you can bet on that. The good (butterflies), the bad (mosquitos) and the ugly (wasps).

Now, before I go, the boys have asked me to ask you all a quick question. :)

If you have a moment, could you tell us what bugs (or insects) are your favorites? Are there any bugs (or insects) that you particularly can't stand? We're setting up a little chart, and we'd love to know what you all think!

Well, thanks for stopping by and sharing in our day. I hope you all have a good night, and remember:

Don't let the bed bugs bite! :)