72,000 Ladybugs Released Into Maryland School, Senior Pranks Leads To Seven Arrests

Several high school students were arrested last week as part of a senior prank gone wrong and that will go on their permanent record.

They broke into their high school and released 72,000 ladybugs as part of a senior prank that found them on the wrong end of the law.

The seven high school students were charged with fourth degree burglary, property destruction under $1,000 and disruption of school activities. Three will be charged as adults, according to Fox News.

The Maryland high school students and one alumnus ordered the ladybugs online and then drove them to Chopticon High School early in the morning May 20.

Two of the prankster’s stayed in the car as lookouts while the others donned ski masks and hoodies before they wedged open the school doors and released the swarm of ladybugs into the school.

One school staff member told the Washington Post the ladybug cleanup began at 6:30 a.m. and took several hours to finish.

It was a mess. When you walked in the building, they covered the walls and hallways, flying around, and they were all in a pile in different areas of the building.

Meanwhile, other staff members said the bugs didn’t bother them, although some students did say they felt bad for the ladybugs.

Despite the seven arrests, this senior prank still wasn’t as bad as one in Tennessee earlier this month that ended with 100 students being banned from graduation, a principal suspended and a deputy being fired.

A deputy let the students into the closed school so they could spread glitter and balloons, but the prank got out of hand and ended with the school covered in trash, urine and even a dead possum, according to the Inquisitr.

Maybe those students should have considered a more innocent senior prank.

Senior pranks have become a rite of passage as students leave high school or college. They are often harmless or funny, but sometimes they get out of hand and cause serious problems.

The Maryland pranksters will have time to consider that as they face their criminal charges for releasing the tens of thousands of ladybugs onto an unsuspecting school and cleanup crew.

Ladybugs are considered a natural pesticide because they feed off aphids, which are garden pests. Thousands of the small red insects can easily and cheaply be purchased online.

In April, 2013 72,000 ladybugs were again released, but this time it was on purpose.

A group of Minnesota third graders released the swarm of ladybugs into the Mall of America as part of earth day.

The ladybugs were released to protect the mall’s 30,000 live plants and 400 trees.

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images