It isn’t that I hate ladybugs – they are actually among my favouite bugs. The red shells with white dots have always impressed me as stylish yet rugged. They are fairly helpful in consuming evil little bugs too. When it comes to their very real impact on my daily life, however, my fondness dwindles quickly.
During spring time we tend to get quite an influx of the critters into our home. This means flattened ladybugs on the floors throughout the house is a common sight. And of course a rather disagreeable aroma is released whenever one of them is squashed.
I discovered that they also have a taste to beat their smell. It all happened one evening while I was sitting in bed reading my book. There was still a few segments of a Toblerone chocolate bar left so I was going to enjoy that while I read (my favourite bad habit – chocolate in bed!) That kind of chocolate is kinda crumbly and so when I broke off a segment I spotted a few dark crumbs. Telum (our cat) was sitting at my feet hoping to share in the spoils and I contemplated giving one of the larger crumbs to him. Well, there wasn’t much left so I grabbed it for myself and tossed it into my mouth.
*crunch* Uuuuggghh! It did *not* taste like chocolate! In fact, it tasted very much like I’d imagined a ladybug to taste. I quickly extracated its crushed body from my mouth and rushed to find some water. It was only after a rinsing and another segment of Toblerone that the vicious ladybug-taste left my mouth.
So ya, nothing against you personally there little critters. Just don’t get underfoot, in my clothes, on my keyboard, or in my mouth.