Invasion Of The Ladybugs Beneficial Insects Move Inside For The Winter By Frank Ruggiero Although it may never make a Hitchcock thriller, William Purcell recently found himself in an insectile mini-drama. Purcell returned from work last Wednesday to find his home caught in a veritable cloud of ladybugs. Ladybugs hibernate in caves or in houses, wherever they can find access. Photo by Caroline Monday A communication instructor at Appalachian State University, Purcell was unprepared for the thousands of bugs crawling along his new house in the Wildcat area of Watauga County. After a series of phone calls to area exterminators, Purcell learned he wasn’t the only resident with such a problem, as each service was booked solid the entire day. He’d have to wait until Thursday, but, in the process, learned this was a regular occurrence. “They hibernate yearly, so they’re going to swarm this time of year, congregating in areas where it’s a light color,” said Dale Roark, agriculture and resource technician with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. “Anything that will hold heat, they’re drawn to that. They’ll find a place to hibernate in caves or in the house, wherever they can find access.” Purcell’s house is white, explaining the attraction. His neighbors, he noted, were not affected. His home is also located adjacent to a Christmas tree farm, meaning the farmer may have released the bugs, which are natural predators, in lieu of insecticide. The ladybugs in question were of a brown color, fitting the description of the Asian ladybug. Ten years ago, Roark explained, people began to mail order Asian ladybugs to use as an alternative to insecticides, and not just farmers, but homeowners, gardeners and landscapers. “A lot of people got those, thinking they would be helpful in the fight against the hemlock woolly adelgid, but the Asian ladybugs have been here for quite a few years,” Roark said. “They’re heavy feeders, good insects – predators feeding on the bad insects.” When nights grow cold and the days grow warm, the ladybugs swarm for about a day or two as they search for a place to hibernate for winter, Roark continued. “We recommend people leave them alone, because they cut down on the insects that feed on plants and do a lot of damage,” he said, adding that the ladybugs are not harmful to people. Though the extension office received reports of ladybugs biting, Roark said he’s never known of an actual biting. “When they land on you, their feet are sticky and it may feel like a little nip, but I’ve never actually seen a ladybug bite anyone,” he said. All the same, returning home to a house crawling with bugs can be unsettling, particularly if they find a way inside. Jack Roberts, owner of A-1 Termite and Pest Control, has worked in the extermination business for 40 years and has come to expect this time of year. “They’re a nuisance pest,” he said. “Of course, they’re a beneficial insect, so you don’t want to kill them if you don’t have to. But sometimes when it becomes a problem, you do have to take care of them.” Instead of poisoning the bugs, Roberts recommends using a vacuum cleaner to suck them up and release outdoors. For those outdoors, a leaf-blower does an adequate job of agitating and scaring the bugs away. The best method to stop the bugs from infiltrating the home, though, is prevention. “When it starts to get cool, the way they get into the home is they get inside the wall void behind the insulation,” Roberts said. “Sometimes they’ll be down in the basement area or the attic. Then, they’ll wander through the cracks and crevices and come inside the home.” The bugs don’t inflict any damage on the home, only leaving behind an odor if they’re crushed. They also don’t reproduce during this time, as “they’re just lodging for the winter to get protection from the cold,” Roberts said. The bugs sometimes make an appearance during winter, if warm days are in the forecast. Once spring comes, though, they’ll migrate from the house back to the outdoors. The best way to prevent any indoor invasion, though, is to caulk and seal certain areas. A spraying will only scrape the surface, killing those out in the open, Roberts said, adding, “They are pretty hard to get out completely once they’ve gotten in.” When they begin showing up in the home, they’re usually already in the wallboards. Roberts recommends a preventative treatment on the home’s exterior in September, before the weather cools significantly. While investigating the situation, Purcell learned the bugs were airdropped over the area to combat insects harmful to agriculture. This is true, but Roberts said it happened years ago to control certain areas and that it hasn’t happened recently. With a cold spell well underway, it’s likely the bugs have found a winter home. If they make an encore appearance, though, Roark recommends, “Just let them do their thing. If they get in the house, just vacuum them up and release them back outside. We recommend that you not kill them, because they’re beneficial.”