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Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
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Lady Beetles in our Home |
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January 9, 2002 What are those armored, brightly colored, spotted bugs entering your home by the thousands? They could be two-spotted lady beetles or more likely Asian lady beetles. The Asian lady beetle was introduced to the United States from Asia as a biological control of aphids on agricultural crops and is believed to have established itself from accidental freighter activities at the Port of New Orleans. They were first spotted in New York in 1994 and are now considered a nuisance to homeowners. The Asian lady beetle ranges in color from yellowish-orange to bright red-orange and may have several or no spots. In the fall they are in search of a protected areas to overwinter and are believed to be attracted to light-colored houses located in open fields because this mimics the natural tendency to fly to rock outcroppings in Asia while searching for overwintering sites. Once inside your home they may not show themselves accept for on warm sunny days. Warm weather makes them active and the sunny windows attract them because it simulates the outdoors. When inside your home, they don't reproduce nor do they pose any harm to people, textiles, wood or food. Their numbers are believed to be so large because there is an abundance of prey (predominantly aphids and scales) and the lack of native natural enemies. Remember this when thousands look as though they are sunning themselves on the south wall of your home on a cool fall day. A good means for preventing them from entering your home is to seal up openings or cracks around windows, doors, siding, etc. A good caulking material may be a solution under some conditions. The use of insecticides is not recommended and is strongly discouraged because of the overall benefit lady beetles provide. It is recommended that they be swept carefully and thrown outdoors. They may be vacuumed, just remember to clean out the vacuum cleaner to avoid their crawling back out. When lady beetles are disturbed, they may discharge a yellow fluid that can stain walls, paint and fabrics. They need to be handled carefully. Once warmer weather comes, they migrate outdoors in search of prey and egg laying sites. During the summer months they should no longer be inside. The two-spotted lady beetle is commonly referred to as a ladybug or ladybird beetle is native to our area will behave similarly, but just not in the large numbers as the Asian lady beetle, therefore it has not become a nuisance. The Asian lady beetle's numbers may become more balanced as their prey decreases and it falls prey to natural enemies. The lady beetle is an insect worth being tolerant of because of the overwhelming benefit they provide to the agricultural and gardening community. As an ending piece of trivia, I recently learned that the lady beetle is New York State's insect much like the bluebird is New York State's bird. Master
Gardeners are available all year round to answer your home, garden
and grounds questions. Please contact the Master Gardeners by calling
the Cooperative Extension office at 315.536.5123. To visit past articles
written by Yates County Master Gardeners visit
www.cce.cornell.edu/yates/mgindex.htm. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
