Nature’s Garden
Ladybug, lady bug, fly away home Your house is on fire, your children are gone
All but one, and her name is Ann
And she crept under the pudding pan
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I know where all the ladybug’s children are – they’re trying to get into my house for the winter.
Maybe you have a similar problem?
Not to worry, these brightly-colored beetles invading our homes are not dangerous to us, nor will they eat our clothing, food or munch on wood.
They’re just annoying.
Actually, the ladybugs invading our homes are not the cute little red-with-black-dots native ladybugs.
Our native lady bug likes to hibernate outdoors in leaf piles or mulch.
No, these orange-to-yellow invaders – which may or may not have black dots on their wing covers – are native to eastern Asia, brought to the U.S. and introduced on purpose by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a biological control agent.
There was a good reason: Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis) love to eat aphids and scale insects, so they are quite valuable in the garden.
According to the Department of Entomology at Penn State University, Asian lady beetles were first released in Pennsylvania in 1978 and 1981.
However, they were not recorded as overwintering until 1993.
As a result, there is some question as to whether or not the Asian lady beetles we’re dealing with now are from those released by the USDA so many years ago.
Instead, the beetles we have today may be the result of accidental introduction through the port of New Orleans by Asian freighter traffic.
Ladybugs and lady beetles can live as long as three years. Their life cycle, from egg to adult to egg laying, is quite short: only about three to four weeks, so each year there are multiple generations at work in our gardens.
It’s the larvae stage – and the larva are not pretty – that feed on aphids.
The proliferation of the Asian lady beetle is causing concern about its possible impact on the native ladybug population, but it is hoped the Asian lady beetle population should become more balanced as native natural enemies increase and the beetles’ abundant food declines.
Right now the issue is keeping them out of my house-a mission that has not been very successful in past years.
Asian lady beetles can get into the house via the smallest cracks and crevices.
Caulk is the best weapon, but I’m obviously missing a lot of places because each year it seems like thousands of lady beetles find their way into my attic and window spaces.
I’m not too hostile with them because they are “good bugs” for my garden, but they can cause a bit of a mess in the house.
Asian lady beetles can bite, but more importantly, if alarmed, Asian lady beetles will excrete a nasty-smelling chemical that can leave yellow spots on the walls and other surfaces.
For this reason alone I don’t squash them intentionally. Some people may be more sensitive to this chemical than others and can experience some sinus and/or skin irritation. It is recommended to wash any skin that has come in contact with lady beetles and to remove any dead ones from the house.
Quite often I’m not aware of how many lady beetles have overwintered in my house until springtime when they become active again.
With spring’s warmer temperatures, they suddenly start flying around trying to get out of the house. Eventually, those that didn’t die during the winter will find their way outside again.
To cut down on the harassment, I find the best removal method – fall, winter and spring – is to vacuum them up.
If the weather is good, I release them outdoors, otherwise they are carried away in the vacuum cleaner bag by the weekly trash truck.
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Susan Brimo-Cox gardens, observes nature and writes in Ohiopyle. Readers can send questions or comments to her at naturesgarden@brimo-cox.com.
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