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Re: Lady Bugs EveryWhere!
jbarnes@mtnhome.com (jason barnes) wrote:
>What can I do?
>I open my door this morning to find thousands of lady bugs. I live close to
>Mountain Home, Arkansas (north central AR). My house, "A big white one",
>looks like something from a sci-fi film. I'm a hostage. Each time I open my
>door a hundred or so of these little guys fly in. It's dark inside my
>windows are covered. I logged on the internet and found the letter "lady bug
>infestation". So, I'm e-mailing those from the letter with a simular problem.
>Will these little guys leave?
>When?
>What can I do?
>Are there any bug doctors who are studying the migration of these guys?
>Please Help!
>
>jason barnes
>
>jbarnes@mtnhome.com
>
Jason,
The following information is talen from a Horticultural Fact Sheet
published by University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System.
Hope it helps.
***************************************************************************************
HORTICULTURE
FACT SHEET
56: Asian Lady Beetle, Beneficial Nuisance
Many Connecticut residents become alarmed when large numbers of lady
beetles aggregate on their homes in the fall. When warm spring weather
arrives, some people find the same beetles inside and outside their
houses. These lady beetles, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), are beneficial
insects that sometimes become a nuisance to homeowners.
H. axyridir is commonly called the multicolored Asian lady beetle, the
Halloween lady beetle, the Japanese lady beetle or the Asian lady
bug/beetle. Now established in the East, South and Northwest, the
current H. axyridis is descended from beetles that entered New Orleans
and Seattle on ships. Imported beetles, released as biological
controls in California, Georgia and other parts of the South, East and
Northwest, seemed to have vanished. Then in 1988, scientists found an
established population in Louisiana. In Connecticut, it was first
recorded in the spring of 1994.
This lady beetle has made a contribution to biological control
efforts, especially of pecan aphids. It also eats more than 50 species
of other aphids and soft-bodied insects that are pests of ornamental
rose, crape myrtle, plum, peach, apple, magnolia, clover, cabbage,
vetch, pine, tulip tree, maple and other plants. "It's too early to
know the total influence of H. axyridis on the pecan industry, but I
believe its impact is among the most important of any biocontrol
during the last 30 years," says Louis Tedders, Agricultural Research
Service entomologist.
A wide range of colors and various numbers of spots are characteristic
for these lady beetles. They can be pale yellow, brown, bright orange
red, black or mustard in color. The spots can number from zero to 20.
In the United States, the most common H. axyridis is mustard to red
with 16 or more black spots. One source says it has twin white
football-shaped markings behind the head, while others call the area
white with a black "m" shape. Adult beetles are oval and, usually,
1/4-inch long and 3/16-inch wide. The size can vary. Eggs are yellow
elongated ovals, laid upright in clusters of about 20, usually on the
underside of leaves.
Once the first killing frost hits, H. axyridis overwinters in trees,
leaf litter, logs or other protected areas. While looking for
overwintering sites, it tends to cluster in hundreds or thousands on
rocks, houses or other structures. It favors light colors and sunny,
southwest exposures. It usually leaves on its own in a few days or
weeks.
Research is underway to determine if these lady beetles release a
scent that attracts more beetles. Scientists have found what may be an
aggregation pheromone present in H. axyridis. Now, they are trying to
discover if nonaggregating lady beetles possess this chemical, as
well.
In late summer and early fall, the beetle can enter buildings through
cracks and crevices. A homeowner can exclude the lady beetles by
screening (20 mesh maximum) windows, doors and exhaust vents.
Weatherstripping or caulking can be applied to cracks and openings
outside the house. These methods are the best lines of defense.
Dark colors, which are least attractive to the beetles, can be chosen
when exterior repainting is done.
Spraying with an insecticide or killing by another method is NOT
recommended for H. axyridis because it is beneficial to agriculture
and horticulture. These lady beetles are not poisonous, carriers of
human disease or biting, stinging insects. They will not feed on wood,
clothing, carpets, draperies or human f6od. They do not reproduce
indoors.
There is no perfect method to get rid of lady beetles that make their
way indoors. They can be encouraged to fly outside through an open
window. Lady beetles can be swept up with a broom and dust pan.
Scientists have used a soft brush to whisk them into containers. One
person on the Internet suggested putting damp paper towels in windows
to attract and collect the lady beetles. H. axyridis may be released
outside in warmer weather, away from homes, near a source of food or
in a greenhouse.
Tedders stores lady beetles, captured during the winter, in containers
in a refrigerator. He brings them out once a week to warm up and sip
sugar water. In the spring, when aphids are available outdoors, he
releases the beetles.
Some sources say that a vacuum cleaner crevice tool can be used to get
rid of H. £uyridis. This method sometimes kills the lady beetles. The
dead beetles, if allowed to accumulate in the vacuum cleaner bag for
several days, may cause an odor. If the beetles remain alive, they may
escape from the cleaner into the house. In either case, the homeowner
is advised to seal the bag tightly and dispose of it as soon as the
vacuuming is complete. A piece of cloth may be put over the nozzle to
collect the lady beetles alive, then they may be released as advised
above.
Handled lady beetles exhibit a stress-related defensive behavior. They
secrete a harmless, orange substance out the joints of the legs. This
substance is actually lady bug blood, says Tedders. If you trap one in
your hand for several seconds~ you may see a spot of beetle blood on
your palm. This blood can stain walls and fabric.
Populations are expected to remain high indefinitely. The lady beetles
do have a few natural enemies. North Carolina research has shown the
lady beetle to be parasitized by a tachinid fly. A wasp in the
Braconid family, is another enemy of H. axyridis.
Home gardeners are encouraged to put up with this nuisance to
homeowners in order to reap its benefits to horticulture. They may fmd
H. axyridis eating harmful aphids on their garden plants in the
summer.
References
Day, W.H. Personal communication.
De Quattro, J. Gotcha. Agricultural Research, March 1995. pp.5-8.
Hamilton, G. Don't be Spooked by the Halloween Ladybug. News release.
September 29,1995.
Lyon, WF. Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle. Ohio State Fact Sheet
HYG-2158-94.
Schaefer, P.W. Personal communication.
Suomi, D.A. Good Bug Gone Bad or Biocontrol Gets a Black Eye.
Washington State University Cooperative Extension System.
Patsy W Evans Research Assistant
****************************************************************************************************
Regards,
Jonathan
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Jonathan Bishop Bishop's Orchards
B.W. Bishop & Sons, Inc. Growers of Fine Fruit
Guilford, Connecticut since 1871
E-Mail:j_bishop@ix.netcom.com
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