To feel horrid at having just killed a ladybird?

[TheDevilWearsYFronts]

It was on our windowbox and I thought I'd coax it inside so the DC could have a look without risking life and limb leaning out of the window.

But it's now on our windowsill not moving at all.

DD is saying 'wake up ladybird, it's morning'.

I am a mean person.

well her house was on fire and her children were gone anyway so may have been a blessed relief

Don't be sad. The little buggers bite when there are lots of them and they're hungry.

And anyway, it's going to be a good year for ladybirds, you mark my words.

Any thought os it being asleep have been quashed. DS ran in and picked it and squashed it in his fist.

I still feel sad.

Good year for them ey? And biting, what!?

YANBU.

I had pangs of guilt at spraying a fly with poison instead of trying to kill it fast with a rolled up newspaper...

It died so slowly.. and so noisily...

I killed a bee the other day. That's a far greater sin. Especially having watched Bee Movie.

did the ladybird woof sadly as it died?

or make helicopter noises?

I heard something on Radio4 about swarms and aparently the weather conditions are perfect for the UK to be absolutely heaving with ladybirds by the end of the summer.

Argh, I accidently murdered a fly by batting it into the coils of an energy saving light bulb. It was an awful noisy death and I felt really guilty.

Don't worry, beetles are tough! It is probably just pretending!

But if it died, consider yourself a conservationist: there are a lot of harlequin ladybirds around, and they are nasty little buggers who outcompete the native species and will eat their grandmothers if aphids are scarce (and butterfly and moth eggs, fruit crops etc).

It is difficult telling them apart, but generally if they are more than 5mm long, they are probably harlequin ladybirds and not as deserving of our love.

Bless you to be concerned!

Don't worry, I IRONED one the other day

Poor bugger was inside DP's shirt

It was a tad messy

DS2 ate one for lunch.

It either came back to life or we are indeed swarming as another one came in which DD had transported to their 'tubby house'.

Half an hour of relaxing with coffee and the paper, is that worth the life of a ladybird?

haha at ironing a lady bird.

YANBU at all - but never mind.
Yes they can bite but rarely do; I have been bitten by one, it's just a sharp nip.

I got quite cross with an old man once - there was a group of us being shown a friend's orchard and on an apple leaf was a ladybird juvenile (nymph?) - it's an ugly black thingy with spots - anyway, this old man said "ooh you've got a bug" and squashed it with his fingernail! I told him off for killing the ladybird that would have protected the tree from aphids - he didn't realise that it was a ladybird. I guess lots of people don't so here is a picture of the juvenile.

Just in case the RSPCA are on the way to arrest DS2, it was a ladybird made from a cream crack, cream cheese with red food colouring, grapes and raisins.

ponce, FabBakerGirl.

Well I've just told my gran all about this and she went off on a real rant about various types/ age of types, and we shouldn't ever disturb them. I have been told.

He made it at playschool, frisbyrat!

Ah, get over it. Bloody bugs. Just manky old beetles in a fancy frock.

Exactly Figment. It may have a funky red coat but it's a yucky little many-legged, creepy, crawly little insecty thing underneath. Turn it over and then see how much remorse you feel