Stormed By the Combine

Right across the road from us is a field of soybeans. I’ve been waiting for the combine to show up since beans started coming out here probably two weeks ago. We really enjoy watching the combines, especially Caleb.

Today, however, I could have done without the combine. You see, today the conditions were just right for the perfect storm.

We just got done with some pretty cold weather that left water outside frozen in the morning, but today is a beautiful fall day. It has warmed up considerably and the sun is shining bright. Which leads me to the storm.

You see, this morning the bugs decided that after hiding from the cold for about a week, they better come get some sun. First we saw the flies. Then a few Asian beetles started showing up. And then the combine showed up.

If you haven’t lived by bean fields before, you may not know that they are home to Asian beetles here in Iowa. These are the little bugs that look like lady bugs, but they aren’t. These guys are not red but orange, a bit bigger, and a WHOLE lot smellier! In fact, they just plain stink.

So when the combine started across the road, the beetles got stirred up from their home. Then they realized that it was a great day to fly around and catch some sun. If it was colder, they might have hunkered down a bit, but not today. Today is a great day to be a bug and fly.

Now there’s one more thing about these beetles. They originally weren’t from our area, but from an area where they enjoy hanging out on the sides of rocky cliffs. We don’t have sides of cliffs here. But we do have sides of houses. So after they fly around a bit, where do they go? To the sides of houses. Or barns. Or barn houses.

Our whole house is now covered with these little guys. Here are some pictures I took.


I should have known that they would be all over the side of the building like they were the windows. But curiousity got the best of me, and I went outside anyway. (Don't be fooled by the red siding, they are all over that too. You can click on the picture to enlarge it if you want proof.) My mistake. I flicked quite a few off before I attempted to go inside again.


That’s alright though. We don’t have our screen/storm doors on yet, the ones with the tight seal, so they are finding their way in without my help.

Fortunately, we have some Ortho Home Defense spray my mother-in-law had left before we moved in. Unfortunately I haven’t sprayed any of it since I am at the very end of my pregnancy and am being overly cautious (and Ethan has been super busy so I haven’t bugged him about it - no pun intended.) Since they like to hang out high on the walls though, we’ll just vacuum them up at night. (By the way, use an old vacuum for this or at least be prepared to throw away your vacuum bag when you are done. Remember - they stink!)