| We just moved here from Florida and we are infested with orange beetles that look like lady bugs. They hatched out (in the house) three weeks ago. I suspect that they lay eggs and will return next year. What can we do to ward off or kill these pests? |
| Ladybugs can be a real nuisance indoors! Your home has probably been adopted by the Asian Ladybugs rather than the native kinds. These imported ladybugs differ from the natives in that they prefer to hibernate on high cliffs instead of old tree stumps. Your house might be the highest place they could find in the area and they decided to hibernate under the eaves near the roof. As the weather gets progressively cooler, the ladybugs are drawn toward the heat escaping from your home. They manage to find tiny openings between the boards of the house and end up in wall spaces or attics. The warmth of your home tricks them into thinking it's springtime. Ladybugs are programmed to disperse when they wake up from their winter hibernation, and so they begin flying and crawling all around, in an effort to escape. The kindest thing you can do is collect them and send them outdoors. Either vacuum them up and empty the bag outside, or sweep them into a pile and toss them outside. There may be a few casualties, but the majority of them should survive the ordeal. There's really no way to keep them from coming in, short of sealing all of the tiny openings between the exterior and interior of your home. The Asiatic ladybug comes in many different variations of pattern and color. Most commonly, the beetle is orange with black spots (up to as many as nineteen!) or it may be black with four red spots at the corners. |
