Why Are Ladybugs in My House?
Like many other pests, the spotted ladybug seeks a warm place as soon as the Fall weather starts to turn.
Most of the "regular" lady beetles head for the hills in the fall and shelter in natural cavities.
But the multicolored Asian lady beetle likes to spend winters at lower elevations.
Our homes are perfect shelters for them.
In many areas of the U.
S.
, Asian lady beetles can swarm in very large numbers, to the point that they affect quality of life.
They prefer to cluster on the sides of homes and other buildings, and as temperatures decrease, they eventually work their way into the building through small cracks or crevices, or natural breaks in the window panes, door jams or foundations.
Once inside they crawl about on windows, walls, attics, and wall voids.
When the heating is turned on, the beetles move into the living areas of the home.
So once they gain entry they can be a pest all winter long.
They will hibernate until the first warm days of late winter or early spring, and then they seem to come to life again and begin crawling about.
Some good news here is that lady beetles are not structure-damaging pests, unlike insects such as termites and carpenter ants.
Lady beetles do not chew or bore holes in walls or eat carpet or furniture.
And they do not lay their eggs in homes.
Why are they here? You can thank science and the US government for the large numbers of Asian Lady Beetles, which sometimes are seen in epidemic proportion.
This insect was imported and released as early as 1916 in attempts to naturally control certain insect pests.
From the 1960s to 1990s, the U.
S.
Department of Agriculture imported thousands of Asian lady beetles to control agricultural pests, especially in areas that grow pecans and apples.
Large numbers of the beetles were released in several states including Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland.
In addition, accidental entries have occurred via imported nursery items at ports in Delaware and South Carolina.
Some scientists believe that current infestations in the U.
S.
originated not from these intentional releases, but from beetles accidentally transported into New Orleans on a freighter from Japan.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle was first recorded as a pest in houses in 1988 in Abita Springs, Louisiana.
Large numbers of lady beetles were reported to be infesting homes and buildings in other parts of the United States in the early 1990s.
The beetle has rapidly expanded its range and is now commonly found throughout much of the U.
S.
How to "spot" an Asian Lady Beetle (Asian Ladybug) Adult Asian lady beetles are oval, convex, and about 1/4-inch long.
Their color can vary widely from tan to orange to red.
They often have several black spots on the wing covers, although on some beetles the spots may be indistinct or entirely absent.
Multi-spotted individuals tend to be females while those with few or no spots tend to be males.
Most beetles have a small, dark "M" or "W"-shaped marking on the whitish area behind the head.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle adults begin laying eggs on host plants in early spring.
Eggs are yellow, oval, and typically are laid in clusters on the undersides of leaves.
The immatures (larvae) are often orange and black and shaped somewhat like tiny alligators.
Larvae complete their development on plants where their primary food (aphids) is abundant.
The non-mobile cocoon, or pupal stage, remains attached to vegetation by its molted skin, but occasionally may be found clinging to exterior walls of buildings.
Eggs hatch in about three to five days, and larvae begin searching on plants for aphids and other soft-bodied arthropods on which to feed.
Adults and larvae typically feed upon the same prey.
Larvae molt four times, becoming larger after each molt, and enter an immobile pupal stage after the last molt.
Most of the "regular" lady beetles head for the hills in the fall and shelter in natural cavities.
But the multicolored Asian lady beetle likes to spend winters at lower elevations.
Our homes are perfect shelters for them.
In many areas of the U.
S.
, Asian lady beetles can swarm in very large numbers, to the point that they affect quality of life.
They prefer to cluster on the sides of homes and other buildings, and as temperatures decrease, they eventually work their way into the building through small cracks or crevices, or natural breaks in the window panes, door jams or foundations.
Once inside they crawl about on windows, walls, attics, and wall voids.
When the heating is turned on, the beetles move into the living areas of the home.
So once they gain entry they can be a pest all winter long.
They will hibernate until the first warm days of late winter or early spring, and then they seem to come to life again and begin crawling about.
Some good news here is that lady beetles are not structure-damaging pests, unlike insects such as termites and carpenter ants.
Lady beetles do not chew or bore holes in walls or eat carpet or furniture.
And they do not lay their eggs in homes.
Why are they here? You can thank science and the US government for the large numbers of Asian Lady Beetles, which sometimes are seen in epidemic proportion.
This insect was imported and released as early as 1916 in attempts to naturally control certain insect pests.
From the 1960s to 1990s, the U.
S.
Department of Agriculture imported thousands of Asian lady beetles to control agricultural pests, especially in areas that grow pecans and apples.
Large numbers of the beetles were released in several states including Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland.
In addition, accidental entries have occurred via imported nursery items at ports in Delaware and South Carolina.
Some scientists believe that current infestations in the U.
S.
originated not from these intentional releases, but from beetles accidentally transported into New Orleans on a freighter from Japan.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle was first recorded as a pest in houses in 1988 in Abita Springs, Louisiana.
Large numbers of lady beetles were reported to be infesting homes and buildings in other parts of the United States in the early 1990s.
The beetle has rapidly expanded its range and is now commonly found throughout much of the U.
S.
How to "spot" an Asian Lady Beetle (Asian Ladybug) Adult Asian lady beetles are oval, convex, and about 1/4-inch long.
Their color can vary widely from tan to orange to red.
They often have several black spots on the wing covers, although on some beetles the spots may be indistinct or entirely absent.
Multi-spotted individuals tend to be females while those with few or no spots tend to be males.
Most beetles have a small, dark "M" or "W"-shaped marking on the whitish area behind the head.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle adults begin laying eggs on host plants in early spring.
Eggs are yellow, oval, and typically are laid in clusters on the undersides of leaves.
The immatures (larvae) are often orange and black and shaped somewhat like tiny alligators.
Larvae complete their development on plants where their primary food (aphids) is abundant.
The non-mobile cocoon, or pupal stage, remains attached to vegetation by its molted skin, but occasionally may be found clinging to exterior walls of buildings.
Eggs hatch in about three to five days, and larvae begin searching on plants for aphids and other soft-bodied arthropods on which to feed.
Adults and larvae typically feed upon the same prey.
Larvae molt four times, becoming larger after each molt, and enter an immobile pupal stage after the last molt.
