Flying orange polka-dotted invaders are sneaking into Lincoln houses through crevices and openings around windows.
KATHRYN CATES MOORE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Monday, November 3, 2008 6:00 pm
Flying orange polka-dotted invaders are sneaking into Lincoln houses through crevices and openings around windows.
These ladybugs are technically multicolored Asian ladybird beetles, and this time of year they’re searching for a place to hibernate for the winter, said Barb Ogg, entomologist and Lancaster County Extension educator.
Last week, her office was flooded with calls about the insects, she said. That’s because they have a habit of laying low until there’s a sharp drop in temperature — like last Monday. Then when the air warms up again, like it did last Wednesday, they come out in large groups searching for winter cover.
“One caller said she couldn’t go outside without the bugs landing on her,” Ogg said.
Traditionally, ladybug species like to overwinter in masses. The native species usually does that under leaf litter, but the Asian beetles have different needs, she said.
In Asia, the bugs would hibernate in cliff face crevices. Here, they go for tall buildings or houses, Ogg said, and the south and west sides of the house are particularly attractive. If they’re near a grove of trees, all the better.
Their favorite food is the soybean aphid, so rural two-story homes are often viewed by the bugs as a winter haven, she said.
Unlike our native ladybugs, these Asian cousins bite. And like all ladybugs, they emit an odor. If you squish them, they can stain walls or draperies.
So what can you do about all these beetles?
Ogg suggests finding entry points around your house and sealing cracks and crevices with caulk before the bugs get inside. Check screens and doors to make sure they are tight-fitting. Insecticides aren’t really effective on these beetles, Ogg said.
And once they settle inside the walls, there’s no easy way to remove them, she said.
Sometimes when the winter weather warms up, the beetles will come out, tricked into thinking spring has sprung.
In that case, Ogg suggests using a vacuum to get rid of them. If there are lots of them, insert a knee-high stocking in the vacuum wand to catch the beetles. Then they won’t get inside your vacuum and leave behind their scent.
Reach Kathryn Cates Moore at 473-7214 or kmoore@journalstar.com.