Ladybugs eat aphids, will bite

Q. What’s with the lady bugs that get into my house all winter?

Greg from North Lima

A. It is a sunny day, and all of a sudden you find these insects crawling around the house, on the walls, in the carpet. You have been invaded by Asian Lady Beetles, also known as the Harlequin Ladybird. The Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is a native of Asia and was first imported into the United States in 1916. Now it is distributed worldwide, as it is very important to the predation of harmful insects. They are carnivorous and very efficient predators of aphids. They are dome-shaped, with two pairs of wings, though coloration varies from yellowish, to orange, to black, with up to 22 spots (or possibly lacking spots at all).

The protonum has either a “W” or an “M” between the head and the base of the wings for clear identification. In the fall, they group into large clusters and seek out sheltered places for hibernation (such as people’s homes, wood piles, barns, etc.).

They congregate in masses, and when temperatures reach 50 degrees or more on sunny days, they emerge to warm themselves for energy. They come out of crevasses, cracks, bases of walls, around doors and usually head for windows to the warming sun.

The Asian Lady Beetle is a nuisance for this fact and because they have a distinctive defense mechanism of exuding a yellow to blood-like secretion that is unpleasant to smell and stains whatever it touches. As well, it can be an allergan for humans, causing eye problems and asthma flair-ups. They also can pinch (which feels like a bite), though this is not an issue. They can infect fruit crops with this secretion, and have been known to contaminate wine production.

The best way to protect your home is to fill and seal all cracks around doors, windows, attics, etc., before September, as they migrate into homes September through November. Vacuuming is the best way to rid your home, and empty the cleaner every time you use it, or catch them in a nylon bag attached to the nozzle.

Our native Ladybug, or Lady Bird Beetle, (Coccinella magnifica) is an important insect of seven subfamilies, and over 5,000 species worldwide. They are predatory, though some eat plants, and some eat both plants and insects. The colors range from yellow, to orange, to red, and black, with or without spots, and some have stripes.

Of course the easiest way to identify a Lady Bird Beetle is the protonum does not have the distinctive “W” or “M.”

Read more about these insects at: http://go.osu.edu/asianladybeetle

This week’s answer provided by Stephanie Hughes, OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer. Call the office hotline at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours are over for the growing season, but you can still call and submit questions. Hours vary throughout the winter season.