Ladybug invasion
Is anyone else being overrun with ladybugs? Every December or January, ladybugs pop up all over our house, inside and out. We find them crawling on door frames, windowsills, lamps, and must flick them into our palms in order to rescue and release them outdoors. I put them out even when it’s cold because what else am I going to do with a bunch of ladybugs?
Today I stepped out on the front porch to get my mail and found a swarm of ladybugs at the door. The were crawling up and down on the porch posts, the mailbox, the storm door, the siding of the house, the plants near the door. While I photographed this little lady, a few took flight and landed on my arm, my camera, and my head. The sun was warm, and they seemed to have purpose, but what it was I still don’t know.
Are they hatching outdoors and coming in? Or hatching indoors and trying to get out? And why aren’t they hibernating until next spring?
All material © 2006-2007 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I’ve not had an invasion of numbers but I had one on my computer the other night. Now that felt weird to have a lady bug trotting around my computer.
It is a little weird. We think of them as good luck, and my youngest enjoys rescuing them, but what’s up with all the ladybugs?? —Pam
Here they often come into homes in the fall looking for a cozy place to overwinter. I think our house has enough cozy places before they reach the interior that we don’t see many that time of the year. When we really see them is late winter and early spring, especially on sunny days. They wake up and start moving around and many end up on the window sills and buzzing around. Keeps the dogs entertained and they are harmless. Populations seem to vary a lot from year to year. Some years you hardly notice them. Others, I’m tempted to bring out the vacume cleaner daily.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I couldn’t actually bring myself to vacuum them up, but they can get a bit pesky. I wonder if they emerge at different times here in the South versus your location in NY. —Pam
I had a big invasion too! Here is something from Wikipedia. I don’t have enough for them to have reached pest status. It was kind of a lovely surprise to find the porch crawling with ladybugs.
Coccinellids as household pests
Although native species of coccinellids are typically considered benign, in North America the Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis), introduced in the twentieth century to control aphids on agricultural crops, has become a serious household pest in some regions owing to its habit of overwintering in structures. It is similarly acquiring a pest reputation in Europe, where it is called the “Harlequin Ladybird” (see main article “Asian lady beetle” for discussion).
Interesting! Thanks for the info, Sue. By the way, are you in Austin too? I’m curious to know what other regions have ladybug invasions. —Pam
What a charming insect invasion to have! Better ladybugs than hungry grasshoppers…
So true! Hungry ladybugs are always welcome. But outside is best. —Pam
Me, me, me!!!!! It has been going on for about the last week now. I will be working in my office which has a sunny deck off of it and I will find 8-10 ladybugs a day having snuck inside. My husband kept saying that someone in the neighborhood must have done a release so it’s nice to see this post and know other gardeners are having this wonderful “invasion”!
Have you noticed them in years past, Bonnie? We’ve gotten them every winter in this house, but this year they are more numerous. —Pam
We have them too up here in Tennessee. They came a few weeks ago and are still lurking in our house. There’s some good information on the University of Kentucky entomology page. Here’s a post with a link to their article if you’re interested!
The Home Garden: Invasion!
Thanks, Dave. Great information in that link. Having read it, I think I might actually resort to the vacuum if they get to that level of pestilence. But for now I still find them (mostly) charming. —Pam
We have swarming ladybugs in the fall and winter. On P.Allen Smith’s gardening site,
he recommends vacuuming them into a clean bag (the swarms are soon dormant) and put
the bag in a cool, dark place until spring. Then release the awakening (and hungry) ladybugs
in your garden.
That’s a good idea. I guess hibernating in a dusty bag doesn’t harm them? Thanks for the tip. —Pam
Like Lisa at Greenbow, I had a ladybug larva on my computer keyboard today. My neighbors have loads in their backyards, but I haven’t had many here. You can bet I’d blog about them if I did. 🙂
Surely you mean a ladybug beetle, not a larva, Dawn? By the way, I’ve read that the larvae look like little alligators! —Pam