There was something buggin’ beachgoers this week.
Ladybugs for the past week invaded the coastline, and we had a few calls here at the Reg with readers curious – some irked – by the little critters.
Our home and garden reporter Cindy McNatt sent over a few lines from Register reader 
Robbie Fox of Villa Park, whose 4-year-old grandson Matthew saw something on Tuesday in Newport Beach that they had never seen before – ladybugs washed up on shore as far as the eye can see.
    “I’ve been in California most of my life and I have never seen anything like it,” said Fox. “My grandson ran down to the water and said that the ladybugs were there, and I thought he was telling me a lie.”
   McNatt checked in with UC Riverside entomologist Tim Paine, who said the springtime weather brings the bugs to  the coast.  The bugs winter as adults in our local mountains. They use the cues of daylight and temperature to break their hibernation. Then they fly up into an air column and if it happens to be an offshore breeze, say a Santa Ana condition, they eventually run out of ground. It’s all about timing,” he said.

I was out at Huntington State Beach last Sunday, and noticed a large number of them flying around – they especially liked my friend Karyn, and kept landing on her limbs.

“That’s good luck, right?” I asked her.  (I think they liked her ’cause she’s sweet. They stayed off of me).
It didn’t seem like a big deal until Thursday when I was in Newport Beach taping a new weekend beach TV segment for KDOC, and I noticed a pretty big pile of dead lady bugs, at least two dozen in one spot. (sorry, didn’t snap a photo, but should have!)
I made some calls today to local lifeguards, who said there were indeed more-than-usual ladybugs along the coast.
Huntington Beach Lt. Mike Baumgartner said the offshore winds – the same ones that brought that crazy heat wave- usually whip the bugs onto our shoreline. Over at Huntington State Beach, lifeguard Ryan Gates said one lady even asked for a refund because she was so bugged out!
But with today’s strong winds that have blown for the past few hours, the bugs (and the dead ones) have pretty much cleared out, lifeguards report.
Newport Beach lifeguard Cpt. Boyd Mickley said this happens every 3 or 4 years.
“It’s spring, the weather warms up, perhaps a Santa Ana wind blows the ladybugs too far over the ocean, and they drown and get washed back up on shore.”
Most of the bugs seem to be gone.
“If you look really hard, you might be able to see some,” said Mickley. “I haven’t noticed any since Wednesday.”

If you have any photos of the ladybugs on the coast, send them over to lconnelly@ocregister.com

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