Endeavor News

NOT SO LADY-LIKE

Pesky beetles were not 'dropped' by 'state'



They’re not “lady bugs.”

And they weren’t “dropped” out of helicopters or airplanes by “the state.”

But no matter what you believe, read on and learn how to deal with this season’s rural pest.

The thousands, and what seems like millions, of red-orange beetles that have been swarming the area are actually “multicolored Asian lady beetles,” a hardy little insect that keeps to itself until fall.

But Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has nothing to do with the pesky, smelly beetles’ presence here, despite the urban rumors.

“We (DCNR) absolutely did not drop them here,” Elk County District Forester Jeanne Wambaugh told Endeavor News. “We know that’s a popular belief. We’ve had many, many phone calls and questions, but it’s just not the case. We are not dropping lady bugs.”

Like a lot of non-native insect species, the population of Asian beetles in Pennsylvania goes through booms and busts. And autumn 2007 is certainly a “boom” year.

“They’re not harmful at all,” Wambaugh explained. “But they are unwelcome and, in the size swarms they are this year, they are VERY unwelcome.”

While the Asian lady beetles can bite, they rarely do. But if you hold one long enough to offend it, or heaven forbid smash it with your bare hands, you’d probably rather it would bite you- as part of their natural defense system, which keeps most predators from adding them to the menu, the beetles release a chemical through their exo-skeleton that has a foul smell that is quite difficult to wash off. To add to that, if you smash them on something, they’ll leave a stain that is essentially unremovable as well.

Despite those unlady-like characteristics, the “lady bug” is considered to be a beneficial insect because of its ability to devour aphids, smaller insects that defoliate popular vegetable crops, like tomatoes. They prey on other insects as well, but are best known for their anti-aphid qualities.

The insects were released in the deep south many decades ago in an attempt to control crop pests there. Slowly, the insects have populated more northern states.

They have become more prevalent in Pennsylvania just in the last decade. Entomologists believe that milder winters, marked by fewer and fewer extended severe cold streaks, have made it easier and easier for larger numbers of the beetles to survive the onceharsh winters.

Other theories as to how the bugs got here abound.

The winged, armored insects, which are not all females, despite the name, in autumn flock to structures that have a southern sun exposures. Shady places are left alone. The swarms, which can number in the tens of thousands, bombard sun-warmed sides of houses and look for cracks in which to winter over. They’re happy to get behind siding, trim, under shingles, behind insulation- you name it- but they prefer to find their way indoors.

Homeowners who have performed their due diligence before winter, sealing every nook and cranny with caulking, won’t have problems with the bugs indoors, no matter how sunny their home is. But their presence in large numbers indoors should sound the alarm to homeowners that it’s time to do a better job winterizing their homes.

Experts recommend strongly against using pesticide to kill the insects once they are inside. It’s easier and safer to simply suck them up in a vacuum cleaner. What you do with them after that is your own business and likely will be determined by how badly they’ve spoiled your Indian Summer day.

Like the vast majority of insect pests, the lady beetles have natural bacterial enemies that will crush them in large numbers every couple years, leading to severe declines in their populations.

Until that happens, though, let the bugs be a reminder that where they can get in, cold drafts can get in: seal the holes in your home. And keep the vacuum handy.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.