Invaded by ladybugs... what's up with that?

[Flaxbee]

All of a sudden, this last week we've been inundated with ladybugs. This is our first October in western NC - is this usual for this area? I've carefully ushered many of them back out, but there are now 6-7 that have crammed themselves in one of the corners of the kitchen ceiling. :shrug:

[Hog lover]

1. Ladybugs are good

don't kill them

[DU9598]

2. Everywhere

Here in Iowa too. It was the same last year. They bite and they stick when they die.

[Flaxbee]

5. Never! I love them but wonder why the sudden visitation...

I don't kill bugs, well, I try not to but can't stand roaches. That's about it, though... I won't kill spiders unless I find a black widow in the house. I leave all creatures alone, they're here for a reason, but the roaches can't live in the house, period.

[Lefta Dissenter]

7. my guess is

that they're not real ladybugs, they're the shitty little Asian Beetles, and they're a pain in the ass and not good. Add to that a few million box elder bugs, and we have a regular little entomological festival here...

[roguevalley]

3. must have hatched out. sprinkle water with nicotine from a crushed

cigarette in it and they will leave. They hate nicotine. It can kill them. I love lady bugs. They can also bite.

[blackcat77]

4. We had that last year.

Ladybugs and skeeters. But things were back to normal this year.

[sam sarrha]

6. they swarm and hibernate in in huge masses..just do'n what lady bugs do.

aren't they beautiful.???

[havocmom]

9. Have seen swarms in the mountains above Tucson. Incredible sight

In some areas, several inches thick covering stumps, rocks and fallen logs. A carpet of red for many square feet (even square yards) in places. Just awesome!

[aquart]

8. My sister paid good money to put them in her garden.

You got them for free?

Damn.

[gordianot]

10. We have the same problem in Missouri.

I have been told they are not what we think of as ladybugs. Sorry don't know specific specie names.

[humanbeing]

11. getting cold, time for hibernation

and they're looking for places to overwinter and stay warm until spring.

[Flaxbee]

12. any ideas how I can help them?

they're not going to last long on the kitchen ceiling w/o food... but it is definitely cooling off outside. Where could I put the little guys/gals so they'll survive?

[Zorra]

15. I've seen ladybugs hibernating under logs. Maybe if you put them in

a wooded area at mid-morning they will find themselves a nice winter home.

[humanbeing]

16. not sure

I think this is a tough one because the are variable and can be hard to identify for certain.

http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm

and the 'unusual ladies' link on bottom has pictures.

The faq link below discusses some stuff. According to the FAQ, they may start to come year after year, so maybe it'd be best if you vacuumed them up and released them back outside, and seal the entrances where the y can get in. I think they'll be ok outside, since they existed before people were around with warm homes.

http://www.ladybuglady.com/LadybugsFAQ.htm

[Green Mountain Dem]

13. They may not be.....

ladybugs...it seems we have been invaded by a "copycat" species. Pay close attention to the number of spots as ladybugs always have the same number but I can't remember how many...the copycats have varied numbers ranging from 2-8. DO NOT squash them or you will have one heck of a stain to clean along with a not so nice smell. Easiest solution is to vacuum them up...this is our 2nd year of huge infestations.

[gordianot]

14. Yes, that is what we have.

I heard the same story. They also smell up the vacuum.

[ironflange]

17. If they really are ladybugs. . .

there must be a lot of aphids around, 'cause that's what they love to eat. That's what happens around here (calgary), this fall we had a really bad aphid infestation. Didn't take long for the ladybugs to show up, but the aphids are all frozen now and the l'bugs are hibernating under the dead leaves.

[ofrfxsk]

18. Here is a link to more info about Asian beetles

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef416.htm

We have had a problem with them in the past couple of years. I just catch them and put them outside which really doesn't help the problem, I know.

[peacebuzzard]

19. W. NC? I am in East TN...and I noticed that today had lotsa ladybugs

everywhere in my yard.... I thought it was cool and unusual. Also, here in the house this evening as I was prepping my dinner, I saw some kinda bug, looked like a small cockroach with some red ladybug type hues , not a disgusting blah cockroach but one with interesting colors....never saw that before. Any clues? P.S. I did the usual scream of disgust anyway, and killed it like I do all cockroaches.

[EstimatedProphet]

20. You must be infested with aphids.

You should bathe in insecticide.

[Hog lover]

21. instead of bathing in insecticide

you could just swim in some polluted stream, compliments of the environmental efforts of the Evil-Doer in Chief

[doc03]

22. Not Ladybugs "Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles"

Those pests were brought to this country to control aphids in southern pecan groves. They were not supposed to survive the winters here. But guess what, they are more intelligent than the nit-wits in the Department of Agriculture. I have been plagued with them since I moved to this house 8 years ago. This year I paid $172 to have the entire house sprayed. They arrived here on the 19th and so far it's working. I have to sweep the dead ones off my porches every day. I am not exaggerating, when I say every square inch of them has at least one dead beetle. If this keeps them out of my house this year $172 is well worth it. I live in eastern Ohio.

[Cats Against Frist]

23. What color are they? Red or orange-ish??

If they're orange-ish, they are probably some kind of japanese beetle or something. We had them in Iowa, last year. One day, I went to a friend's house, in the country, and pretty much her entire house was covered with them. On a 12-foot walk from the car to the house, I probably had 100 of the things stick to me. The entire ceiling in her entryway was covered with them. It was scary, like pestilence or something. Ewwww.