That’s Not a Ladybug!

Around this time of year I hear everyone telling me how they have “ladybugs” trying to get into their house. After a few years of this I started to sound like a broken record. “Those aren’t ladybugs,” is generally as far as I’ll go now.

The truth is they are technically a ladybug, but they differ from our general understanding of ladybugs. They are affectionately known as Asain Beetles and while they do some of the same tasks as other ladybugs (pest control most notably) they have no known preditors and some nasty manners. If you try to catch one you’ll notice they discharge a yellowish substance that will stink and stain whatever surface they are on. It makes removing them from your house a bit more of a challenge for sure!

Since the Asian Beetles don’t carry any known diseases you may consider just letting them winter over with you. I’d advise against that though. It’s been shown that the strange smell and discharge from the beetles can cause skin irritation or allergies in some people.

You don’t have to feel bad about killing these little buggers either. They can be particularly aggressive and attempt to bite you! While helpful to most agriculture, the beetles have become a problem for vineyards. During the grape-gathering process more beetles are being scooped up and their discharge is causing an off taste in the wine.

So how do you get rid of them? The best way is to vacume them up. You may want to use something with a hepa filter for your own sake. Other than that, try preventing more from making their way into the house by sealing up windows and doors tightly.