Have you noticed an incredible number of lady beetles swarming lately? Fear not, they are not invading your space for any other reason than winter is coming and they are looking for a warm place to hang out until the weather warms again in spring.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, while not native to Ohio, is quite similar to other lady beetles, including the native ladybug that has served as the official insect of the state of Ohio since 1975.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, like most non-native species, arrived by boat and probably was a stowaway. Research has shown the beetles entered the country through ports at New Orleans and Seattle and made their way across the nation in a variety of ways.
The first instinct for many people when they see a bug is to kill it without first considering if it is dangerous or perhaps beneficial. The multicolored Asian lady beetle is beneficial, and unless you are a soft-bodied arthropod, it is not dangerous.
Like similar lady beetles that live in the region, the multicolored Asian lady beetle eats other insects like aphids and other soft-bodied arthropods, which are not beneficial but rather destructive in the yard and garden. Pecan farmers praise the multicolored Asian lady beetle. The amount of pesticides needed to grow pecans has been drastically reduced, thanks to the beetles that eat more than 50 different types of aphids – pests that attack pecan trees – as well as ornamental rose, crape myrtle, plum, peach, apple, magnolia, clover, cabbage, vetch, pine, tulip tree, maple and many other plants.
The multicolored Asian lady beetle will not lay eggs in your house, chew your furniture or carpet or cause damage to your home. Because they exhibit a defensive reaction called reflex bleeding, if you annoy them or crush them, they will release blood through the crevices of their legs. The blood has a rather unpleasant odor, further reason not to kill these creatures. Their blood can cause stains on walls or fabrics, but this offense does not seem to warrant death.
The best way to keep the multicolored Asian lady beetle from becoming a nuisance in your living space is to prevent them from ever entering in the first place. Seal cracks with foam or caulk, make sure windows have screens, and be mindful when entering and exiting, especially now while the bugs are looking for shelter.
If you do get an infestation, try vacuuming them and releasing them outdoors. Some experts will tell you the carcasses of multicolored Asian lady beetle will attract other pests like roaches or mice. Roaches and mice eat most anything, so it is unlikely they will infiltrate your home just because you have a few dead beetles on your windowsills.
The next time you reach for toxic sprays or lift your boot like a thug to destroy the life of a beetle that is not harming you and is in fact a benefit to farmers that grow the food you eat, consider the creatures role in the bigger picture.
Perhaps my compassion for living things is extreme, and I know some people think I am an idiot for not wanting to kill bugs. There are many bugs on the planet, and that to me is a signal they are here because we have much to learn from them.
