Ready for the annual ladybug invasion?

For many of us in US, the time of the swarming of the ladybugs is close or already here. These ladybugs are not the natives, but were deliberately imported into this country by the US government. They behave very differently from the natives, and these can be aggressive, especially in the fall. Our local university has been conducting research into this, and here is a link to information. http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/lady/lady.htm

In '00 they were so bad in our house I literally couldn't see the walls in the hallway, and when I walked they crunched underfoot. Last year I did some of the things suggested, and we had far fewer. Today I started insect-proofing the house, but still have a lot of work to do.

Oh how I hate those bugs. They are extremely "swarmy" and you're right..they are aggressive. But I've been told some of them are "oak beetles". I don't care what you call them..they are horrible. At one of our houses I had thousands swarming on the southern side of the building. We ended up setting off a "bug smoke bomb" inside. That seemed to help but of course not all of them.

Wow, what an interesting article lupinelover. I never knew ladybugs were such a problem. They sell them here in the spring for aphid control and I'm wondering if they vacuum them up in your area in the fall like the article suggested and then sell them here. If so, it seems like easy money.

Kathy, i read a year ago in another garden forum that when lady bugs come in great numbers ... it is a sign that winter is coming. thought to pass that along.

edited to add - these info came from a Master Gardener from Canada, whose a good friend of mine.

This message was edited Sunday, Oct 6th 4:04 PM

The ones that are aggressive and in great numbers are larger and more orange than the native ones in my area (WI), they smell bad when dispatched and are impossible to keep out of the house. Since they arrived, I have seen a major decline in the "real" ladybug population here; I do not know if there is a scientific correlation, or other factors in play (pesticides etc.)

Researchers here are pretty sure there is a correlation: the aliens are driving out the natives. No real evidence, though.

Another downside to the aliens: I got a newsletter on Saturday from the research group, and there was a convention last week, researchers from several other state universities, reps from USDA and from grape-growers. Seems the ladybugs really really like grapes.

Last year it caused problems with the harvest. Imagine opening a bottle of your favorite wine, and it has been flavored with dead ladybugs (not the bodies, which would be strained out along with the fruit pulp, just the flavor). Seems many of the beetles are harvested along with the grapes. After the growers expressing concern, researchers analyzed stomach contents of the ladybugs in the spring and summer. Mostly the food contents was fruit (apples, raspberries, grapes, etc). Way down the list is insects such as aphids, mealybugs, etc. Their usefulness may be strongly outweighed by their drawbacks. But there probably is no way to eliminate them now, any more than we can eliminate cockroaches or Japanese Beetles. (sigh)

They have finally started to swarm here, and are gathering in larger numbers every day. Several thousand on the garage wall this afternoon. How about everyone else?

We have a few of them here, but mostly those cursed box elder bugs are really bad this year. My DH goes around with a vacuum all night long sucking them up.

It started last week for us, only a few at first...then many more! I thought this was a year that we were not to see very many. Next year, fewer.
Oh Well !

I put moth balls in paper bags and put between the screen and the windows and this has helped BIG time for me. also put some lose moth balls along with the bags. It looks awful,but keeps the bugs away.

Liz, this year I stitched little broadcloth bags with mothballs inside them, and hung them outside, beside our west-facing windows. I was afraid to put them in the window wells themselves, because of the smell. Does the smell penetrate into your house?

I have seen many fewer ladybugs inside the windows this year (I even seal all the storm window frames with tape), but I am not sure if it is due to the mothballs or just the fewer numbers of them, or their lateness in swarming.

Lupinelover, thats a good idea about the broadcloth bags. Will do that for next year. I don't smell them in the house at all, of course the windows are closed. I think they did swarm later this year for us too. I have seen hundreds outside, have found four in the house, (knock on wood) Last year I had hundreds in the house.

One was riding on my coat with me to work yesterday.