Almost every day I find a few dead ladybugs around the house. Most often they can be found on windowsills. I assume that they have hatched inside the house, but cannot find their way out. Even though it gets cold at night, during the day it is warm enough. Perhaps there is something for them to eat out there, too. But I just found a dead ladybug in the tight space between the wing of a window and the frame. This time I am sure it came from outside the house. It must have been looking for a warm spot. One way or another, ladybugs seem to be perishing in large numbers. There is little doubt that the weather has tricked them into hatching at the wrong time. Curiously, I have not noticed any other insects crawling around out of season. Since a month or so ago, the house has been dead quiet. Of so many insects that thrive in these parts, only the ladybugs are afflicted, and they are the most endearing of them all. Shucks.