It is spring on our place, and the lady bugs have come out in droves. There are hundreds of the smelly things all ovee the house. Does anyone know how to get rid of them? We squish them, sweep them, suck them up with the vacume, but they just keep on coming. Thanks.

-- Stephen (collins@cpinternet.com), April 15, 2002

Answers

Can't help with a way to get rid of them but I have had an abundance of the little critters too this year. I usually have those ugly black flies..cluster flies...all over the house. I would rather have the Lady (or Man) Bugs.Maybe the Ladybugs chased the flies away ?? Happy Spring !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), April 15, 2002.

These beetles are 'good' insects! Please don't kill them. They eat aphids. People actual pay to have them shipped to them. Vaccum them up and take the bag outside to a orchard,or veg., flower garden and release them. I love to see them on my plants because I know they will take care of the aphids.

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), April 15, 2002.

It is my understanding that there were three new (as in non-native) varieties of ladybug imported from Asia to eat the aphids on the canola crops somewhere in the southern states. It is these three varieties that multiplied and invaded our homes. Here in northern Ontario we have enjoyed their company all winter. They bite. The winter freeze did not kill them. It is my hope that when the warm weather comes they will migrate back south (sorry guys!).

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

Ladybugs that BITE?!?

-- Cheryl in KS (klingonbunny@planetkc.com), April 15, 2002.

Last fall due to an invasion of mice we installed those 'pest repellers' that work through the wiring in your house. Now I don't know for sure that is the reason but so far we haven't had the spring invasion of those biting,smelly lady beetles. For the previous two srpings it was terrible so this is really odd that we have NONE this year. I'm not complaining, just glad they're gone. The repellers we used were the ones that worked for an entire floor unless the house is over 1000sq ft per floor. We put one on each floor at opposite ends of the house. The mice aren't as bad but mainly we've seen a big decrease in bugs including spiders & lady bugs. Peace, Kathy

-- Kathy (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

Actually, they don't bite, from what I've heard, they have barbs on their legs, or some legs. Doesn't matter, it still hurts! I know in southern Michigan, somebody (the gov't ?) released tons (well, maybe thousands) of them to help control aphids. You win some, you lose some! I can think of worse things in my house. My german exchange student has been having a good time "rescuing" them. I don't quite understand the 'smelly' part, though. But then I only have about 50 in the house at one time. Good luck! Amy

-- Amy (kimico@aol.com), April 15, 2002.

Hi, We have millions in our trailer. They may help the plants, and I love them in my garden, but when I wake up to about a 100 of the little guys on the ceiling above my bed - enough is enough. We let off two bug bombs in our trailer and that really did the trick. That was a couple months ago and they are starting to come back again so we'll probably have to bomb again, but it really did work. Stace

-- Stacey (stacey@lakesideinternet.com), April 15, 2002.

They released them in Southern Michigan??? No wonder we are so infested. Last fall you could hardly stand to be outside they were so thick and my hair would get full of them. And, YES be it barbs on legs of bites, they hurt. (they also taste absolutely terrible!!! I occasionally have one fall in to my coffee and don't notice it. Not so much now since I keep the CS renew card over my cup ;>) )

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

I forgot to mention, they must be nasty since my chickens won't even eat them!! Also if you vacuum them up, make sure to empty the vac bag/container right away, my girlfriend didn't & by the next morning their was another whole generation plus the ones' she'd vacuumed up all over the broom closet floor& coming out of vacuum. Yuck!! They smell bad if you 'smash' them, plus we had a problem with them making stains on the ceiling where the congregated, little orangy brown dots on my bathroom ceiling, it wasn't easy to get it cleaned off seemed to be almost like a true stain instead of dirt. The County Extension in southern KY said they're Asian & were released to control aphids & other insects that attacked tobacco & cotton. Unfortunately, once their food source was eaten down, they moved in to houses for warmth in winter. Now, the fellow at our extension said they aren't very beneficial on regular garden crops not like the regular lady bugs, but I don't know if that's just in this area or if that's everywhere.

-- Kathy (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

Yesterday, at church I fished some out of the holy water font and they kept flying into everyone's hair. They have been in my house all winter, but the last several days have been just too much. It is an invasion!

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), April 15, 2002.

Thanks to the gov'ts "solution" we are also enduring a plague of ladybugs. I recently read that these bugs like sweet things, so now there is fear for the fruit crops, esp. grapes. And people wonder why folks are nervous about frankenfoods, etc. We got one of those rather expensive little vacuums called a Shark and sweep them up, several hundred to a thousand a day. If I knew what bureacrat did this I'd save them up and mail them t

-- JS (stoom2@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

We personally don't have many at our house, but our friends up the road have hundereds of them in their house. We are in the woods and they are in full sun. Not sure if that is a factor. He said he was told that if you put a couple bay leaves on each window sill it will repel the beetles. He tried and noticed a big difference in just 2 days. Coincidence?? I don't know, but it is worth a try and fairly inexpensive.

-- Colleen in WI (bean@northwoods.net), April 15, 2002.

Get accustomed to them and other similar things -- they are just part of the end days' pestilence.

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), April 15, 2002.

the ones from asia , are japaneese beetles, they ARE not lady bugs, and are an import, hoped to help out, but didnt, now they are taking over areas where lady bugs(native) used to live, they the japaneese ones do not eat aphids but , organic reppellants are : catnip garlic chives

to help get rid of them http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page345.html

or you could be a good person ,and go organic, using neem oil

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

It is the sun that attracts them. We had thousands on the back of our house (that is the side that catches the afternoon sun). I put up some of that stick-on plastic that is silver on the outside and smoky on the inside, but you can still see through it, to help keep the house cooler. It must have confused the little boogers because they quit landing on the house and coming in. We still have swarms of them in the yard and by the barn, though, so its only working on the house. That was my biggest concern anyway.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

Yes, ladybugs do bite! I've had the pleasure! ;)

I know some people pay for these critters, but killing a few hundred a day in my house is like swimming against the tide!

I wouldn't bother squishing & sweeping - just vacuum.

(PS - I have one crawling across my screen as I type)

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), April 15, 2002.

Are these lady bugs red in color with black dots on them and about the size of smaller than a #2 pencil eraser?

If so they sell these criters by the 100. I'm not sure what they get on them but they are not cheap.

-- milam (milam@nospam.com), April 15, 2002.

Yes, ladybugs do bite. Send all you don't want to us; big problem with bad bugs here in hot climate. It was 100 degrees on Sunday!

-- Hank (hsnrs@att.net), April 16, 2002.

The imported ones are yellow with dots. And they do bite. They also swarm. We could not paint trailers or fix tractors or anything else outside last spring. So far (Eastern Ontario) they are in the house. Raid does kill them, but then you have little bodies to contend with. You want extras send and address.

-- Cindy (ciphi@sprint.ca), April 16, 2002.

Lady Bug Solution!!! The key to getting rid of ladybugs is to remember that they are LADYbugs! What I do is get one o' those scratch and sniff perfume ads out of the Sunday newspaper. I spray the ad with Raid. Like all females, LAdybugs can't resist those scratch and sniff ads. The cut little ol' bug scratchs the paper and sniffs Raid! HA!

The other way to get rid of these pesky female bugs is to make a sign that says "Big One Day Sale at the Mall." Once reading the sign, the Ladybugs leave your house immeadiately.

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_MN@yahoo.com), April 16, 2002.

Please don't listen to anyone that tells you not to kill the stinking ladybugs!! We had a severe problem with them 2 yrs ago. My husband sprayed the house with cypermethrin this past year. The entire outside of the house. We sprayed it really good around the middle of September (Illinois). We had probably...oh, I'd say 10's of thousands of these pests lying around the outside of the house dead by the end of Sept. (not to mention no spiders inside either!) What they are is a breed of lady bug that was imported from another country that does not die off in the fall. In their homeland, they hibernate in caves. Well, here in central Illinois, we have no caves, only barns and houses. So these little stinky (and they do stink) pests, find their way into your home to hibernate. And since your home is so nice and warm, they come out all winter long and bug the living crap out of you!!!! The only solution is the spray, unless you want to vacuum and still have them around. Can't do anything for them now, they want to go outside. But come early fall. Spray or they will return 10 fold! Good Luck!

-- Cindy (Ilovecajun@aol.com), April 16, 2002.

Sounds like you really don't have REAL lady bugs. Real lady bugs are red, period, with black dots or occasionally white or yellow. You are probably talking about the tan or brownish ones -- same size, look the same, but, well they can bite. These aren't lady bugs (the good ones you wan't to encourage in your garden) but a form of beetle that is attracted to, and usually breeds in, dry wood in old houses, barns, and fields. Pesticides for these little devils are not really an option. They will generally swarm twice a year in Spring and Fall (fall is usually the heaviest, but of course, summer conditions will have a bearing). When they start to swarm, about all you can do is hope every nook and cranny of your house is sealed. I have a very leaky attic, and I set butterfly nets up at key points and they just swarm in a pile. Capturing a handful or two, boiling them up with a little FRESH lavendar, running everything thru the processor until there's a dead bug paste, and smearing the paste around entrances is a great deterent (do the same with aphids for aphid control. Another alternative is to encourage bats if at all possile, by providing some nice quiet spots in a barn or by putting up a few bat houses. Not only will your bats help keep these faux lady bugs under control, it will keep the 'skeeters under control too. By the way, put your dead carcases in the compost -- the worms will love them. Yum!

-- susan (deerfarm@ct1.nai.net), April 28, 2002.