Imagine yourself relaxing in your comfortable house, possibly enjoying a cup of tea or a good book, and feeling completely safe. Imagine an unknown enemy waiting to erupt from the shadows of your home. Isn’t that scene straight out of a thriller? But this was startlingly true for Kentucky’s Jason Whitaker.
For my part, I’ve always been extremely cautious about home fires. Whether it’s for safety or paranoia, my dryer vent, stove, and candles all receive a close inspection. However, there is one fire hazard that I was unaware of until I came across a Facebook post that will cause you to reconsider those seemingly harmless lightbulbs in your house.
Jason Whitaker wanted to warn everyone about a possible threat that most of us would never consider, so he posted his startling and surprising discovery on Facebook. He couldn’t quite place the source of the burning smell that he had been sensing—it was inexplicable yet incredibly uncomfortable, like an electrical fire. He eventually located the guilty party—a fluorescent spiral light bulb—after what I’m sure was a furious hunt through his house (we’ve all been there, right?).
The worst part is that there was more to the burning stench than a broken lightbulb. Ladybugs were concealed among the light bulb’s spiral coils. You read correctly, ladybugs! These little creatures, which are frequently thought to be innocuous and even fortunate, had made their way inside the bulbs in search of warmth and light—the ideal combination for a possible catastrophe.
The images taken by Jason tell the entire tale: a horde of ladybugs had nested snugly inside the bulb’s core, dancing perilously near to blowing up from the heat produced. If you didn’t have a burning electrical odor bothering you like Jason did, you wouldn’t think to inspect it.
I couldn’t help but share the news; take this as a nice neighborhood alert from Jason and me. There might be more going on inside your home than just light coming from those all-too-familiar spiral fluorescent lights. A quick, routine inspection could prevent an unpleasant, unplanned home fire.
Finally, even though we can’t completely stop ladybugs from their snug journeys, we can protect our houses from the disastrous effects of their scorching adventures by being cautious. So feel free to check at those lightbulbs and ensure that your house stays your safe sanctuary.
