#trying to destigmatize bugs for myself because I do love bugs I just get anxious

[skittishmutt]

I just watched an 8 Minute video about Ladybugs and Ladybeetles and how the idea that Ladybeetles are harmful is misinformation lowkey

You can watch his video here as I'm just restating all of his points in Text form because some people prefer to read over watching the video, But for people who wanna support Him directly you can observe here!!!

Back on topic, The beetles! The picture below is a graph of what he means...

The first thing he talked about was how Ladybugs were introduced into America in between 1916-1988 from southeastern Asia, (unsure where about they were first introduced but they were first documented in 1988.)

The term Ladybeetle has a negative connotation so people have begun to call them Harlequin ladybugs to give them a less harmful identity!

Okay. So the bugs are now in America... What's the harm?

The claims being made about these bugs are that they are Dangerous when that simply isn't true!

“They're aggressive” isn't inherently true, They also could be talking about their appetite! Harlequin ladybugs can eat up to 50 aphids a day which tremendously decreases the population,, You also aren't likely to get bit by one, But if you do get bit it won't hurt very much. It's very minor, and they aren't going to like ruin your entire nervous system with a little bite!

“They invade homes!” which isn't exclusive to Harlequin ladybugs , Many other bugs do this by sending out a smell to invite the other bugs inside from the cold, as they may not know where else to go!

“They're stinky. ” Often times the smelly scent they produce is out of fear, The scent / Residue they leave behind is due to it being a defense mechanism!

They also aren't bad for dogs, It's just that once a dog ate a buttload of them and got sick. If you watch your dog and don't let them eat any bugs it's probably fine lmao

That's kind of it for my rant but if you wanted to watch his video I'd absolutely suggest it, he explains it much more thoroughly and it's generally just a well put together video,,,