Friend or foe?

Lots of procrastination by me today. I need some the Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus) Bach flower remedy, according to Helena.

I am in a rush so these three Ladybirds who have appeared again in the bathroom, are my subject. They seem to come in through, or be hibernating in, the air vent to the exterior, and are on the move apparently because the ambient air temperature is much higher today, at 5 celsius.

In the last couple of years, we have been inundated with invasive variants of the Harlequin Ladybird, which I fear these three may be representatives of. Certainly the black one with two red spots is one of them. One hot summer afternoon a few years ago, there were suddenly tens of thousand of them basking on the south facing back wall of the house. Whether their populations had naturally exploded or they had floated in on hot breezes from the warmer southerly climes of Europe, I don't know. I gather they can easily take over and dominate a habitat, so there is worry about whether our native breeds can survive.

I have a soft spot for all Ladybirds, so these three are safe, although they might be moved outside if they come near my desk area. I don't want them moving into the air vents of my iMac.

The little plant shown here is a weed which volunteered in the soil of a Geranium pot plant on the windowsill. I wondered whether the ladybirds might feel more at home on some vegetation, but they completely ignored it. I think my big hands, which had manoeuvred them here, had given them a bit of a fright, so they closed up into their shells like tortoises might and didn't move.

So yesterday there was lettuce growing outside in January and now Ladybirds waking up. Perhaps I can train them to eat the Greenfly which will be a nuisance indoors very soon.

In case you are worried, there is an identification chart HERE.