Almost everybody loves ladybugs. These cute
and colorful insects are a common sight in the fall, They are fun to play with,
they eat aphids (a common garden pest), and of course, they’re good luck. But
what isn’t commonly known is that some of the ladybugs around aren’t actually
native. There are
a number of native ladybug species, which tend to be more reddish than orange,
but the multicolored Asian lady beetles have come from afar, and sometimes
wreak a little more havoc than our native friends.
The Asian
lady beetles were introduced in the U.S. in 1916 to control crop pests, and
behaved for decades. However, a new strain of this ladybug was accidentally
released at the Port of New Orleans in 1993, and the multicolored Asian lady
beetle started creating a little mischief since.
Ladybugs,
including the Asian lady beetle, are not exactly invasive or considered to be pests:
they don’t carry disease, damage structures, suck blood or sting, and they eat
harmful garden pests. However, they can stain surfaces and give off a foul odor
when disturbed. Their populations seem to absolutely explode in some areas and
they have a habit of finding small corners and getting indoors. This, more than
anything else, is what upsets some people.
If managing
ladybugs becomes a problem, the Adirondack Almanack suggests sealing around
windows, vents and other areas prone to creating draftiness, and check for
cracks or broken screens on common household entrances and vents. Ladybugs,
like many others critters don’t mean any harm; they’re just gravitating towards
the warmth. The Almanack also warns against squashing the beetles, as they’ll
release a smelly and staining yellow defense fluid when disturbed. Just catch
them as humanely as you can and release them outside.
- See more at:
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/10/asian-lady-bugs-unwelcome-halloween-decorations.html#more-55792
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