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One warm day and my south-facing windowsills are full of ladybugs. Where did they all come from? Where have they been all this time? They must hibernate, but have they been in my window frames all this time???

AndyMan said:

One warm day and my south-facing windowsills are full of ladybugs. Where did they all come from? Where have they been all this time? They must hibernate, but have they been in my window frames all this time???

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Please post a picture of the bug for identification, I'm thinkin you're not the only one.
They may be the asian ladybugs, an introduced pest. they will most likely leave on there own as they only eat aphids. Your not raising aphids.... are you?

The greatest damage caused by the multicolored Asian lady beetle is the discomfort they give to homeowners. It is not uncommon for tens of thousands of beetles to congregate in attics, ceilings and wall voids. When the heating is turned on the beetles tend to move around inside these voids and exit into the living areas of the home.

In addition to biting, they exude a foul-smelling, yellow defensive chemical, which will sometimes cause spotting on walls and other surfaces. Most people are only annoyed by the odor of these chemicals. However, some individuals experience an allergic reaction to the defensive excretions. Sinus irritations and mild skin irritations have been reported subsequent to encounters with the Asian beetle. It is probably not an over-reaction to wash hands or other skin after contacting the beetles. In at least one study, the severity of sinus problems subsided with the removal of beetles from the home.


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Vacuuming may also help to collect beetles in your home. The major complaint for this method is that the beetles become agitated and expel the yellow, foul-smelling repellent, which is then circulated into the air by the vacuum exhaust. Also, it is advisable to empty the bag and beetles after each vacuuming to prevent them from escaping back into the house. It is possible to capture the beetles inside a knee-high nylon stocking that has been inserted into the extension hose or wand and secured in place with a rubber band. As soon as the vacuum cleaner is turned off, be sure to remove the stocking so that the captured beetles cannot escape. As you remove it, the rubber band closes around the stocking, effectively "bagging" the lady beetles. You then can discard the contents of the stocking. This way you will not need to change the bag every time you vacuum every time.

You are right - the ones that get into the house are an asian beetle that looks like a ladybug. They enter to winter and invade the inside of the house. I've sprayed the outside of the house in the fall and I don't get them, but have neighbors that come to their weekend house and have found them ankle deep in the whole house - filled a 16 Gal. shop vac dozens of times. I now spray his house when I do mine and they don't get many now.

If you can ge it - Suspend SC by Aventis gets the bugs, but is OK for humans and pets.

discussion on TBN

Lady Bug Infestation - TractorByNet.com

I found a few of the Asian bugs in my one window, they were crowding on my television. The little buggars bite so they met with the fly swatter right away!

We have one specific room in the house that tends to get them around the outside window as well. So far in the past five years only about three actually made it into the house. I have never killed one of course for the fear of that old wives tale, but I do trap them and set them back outside. :laughing:

greengrass said:

...
I have never killed one of course for the fear of that old wives tale, :laughing:

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Oh O!!! is there an old wives tale that I have not came across??? I have never had the pleasure of this one...
and I generally like old wives and old tales... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

Oh O!!! is there an old wives tale that I have not came across??? I have never had the pleasure of this one...
and I generally like old wives and old tales... :smile:KennyV

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Old tales or Old tails?:wink:

RobertBrown said:

Old tales or Old tails?:wink:

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:laughing::laughing:that is right both ways...:biggrin:

I have never heard an old wives tale associated with lady bugs before. I have however encountered coming home from work to find the entire ouside of my house covered in lady bugs (or asian beetles ) before. Looks like something out of a horror movie!

I haven't seen lady bugs but I have cluster flies. They are dumb as sin. They sit on my bathroom windowsill and don't even try to fly away when I flick them across the room.

RobertBrown said:

Please post a picture of the bug for identification, I'm thinkin you're not the only one.
They may be the asian ladybugs, an introduced pest. they will most likely leave on there own as they only eat aphids. Your not raising aphids.... are you?

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Here's a picture of two of my little friends. If it were a different time of year I would gladly transfer them to various aphid-covered plants, but here in mid-winter I am fresh-out. What are they eating now, in my windowsill????

AndyMan said:

Here's a picture of two of my little friends. If it were a different time of year I would gladly transfer them to various aphid-covered plants, but here in mid-winter I am fresh-out. What are they eating now, in my windowsill????

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Looks like Harmonia axyridis to me
Knowledge is power, find your enemy and defeat him, may luck be with you my friend, godspeed.
Harmonia axyridis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This insect was introduced to control Aphids, another brillant idea. The downside is quite apparent to you but who knows how this thing effects natural cycles as it displaces native ladybugs and is injested by insectavores...could explain recent bird die offs in Arkansas and other places:confused2:.
It's also refered to as "japanese ladybug" along witha half a dozen other names.
This website here is the absolute LAST WORD ON INSECTS Truly a valuble tool to be kept in your favorites tool box. I have used it many times over the years as there seems to knothing they (the insect gods) cannot identify. This is biggest bunch of insect nerds (and I mean that in the most endearing sense) you will find and they are now completely at your disposal. I have submitted dozens of photos for ID and I seldom have to wait more than a few minutes.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/397
Since we have to deal these liitte friends on a daily basis it important to have knowledge like this at your finger tips.

KennyV said:

:laughing::laughing:that is right both ways...:biggrin:

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Touchet KennyV!

AndyMan said:

Here's a picture of two of my little friends. If it were a different time of year I would gladly transfer them to various aphid-covered plants, but here in mid-winter I am fresh-out. What are they eating now, in my windowsill????

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Hopefully they are not eating anything...I never have a problem with ladybugs or other insects indoors, but in late fall I see thousands of those red and black box elder bugs on our house, the best method to get rid of them is to line a powerful shop vacuum tank with a large garbage bag then use several wand extensions to suck them up. With a little practice and some stealth you can bag (pun intended) most of them. I make a game of it trying to see how many I can capture before one evades the suction....:laughing: