Asian Lady Beetle
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle
Commonly called lady beetle, the Asian Lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, was introduced from Japan as a biological control for tree-inhabiting aphids. It was initially released by the USDA in Louisiana and Mississippi in 1979 and now is found in many locations in the Midwest.
Individuals come in a variety of colors ranging from pale-orange to a deep orange-red. They can be distinguished from other lady beetles by a pair of white, oval marking directly behind the head forming a black M-shaped pattern and zero to 20 black spots on their body. They are very prolific and live up to 3 years. Lady beetles inhabit various trees and feed on aphids, psyllids and certain scales.
Because they are very prolific and an important biological control agent, Asian Lady beetles have been effective in eliminating and controlling the populations of many types of damaging aphids. Because they are very prolific, they have also managed to become a nuisance when they aggregate in large numbers on the sunny sides of buildings and cluster inside homes through openings and cracks. Typically, this “congregation” happens in the fall when they swarm like bees and land on people. They land on the skin and feed on perspiration occasionally causing a pinching sensation. This physical irritation leads us to believe that they bite. In fact, they do bite. Lady beetles have mandibles which are designed to break the delicate membrane of soft bodied insects such as aphids but not the leathery exterior of human skin.
To uninvite your lady beetle houseguests, seal the cracks around windows, doors, siding, and any openings with caulk . In addition, check your attic, cool room or chimney, for they are looking for a cool place to winter over. Indoor gatherings can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. If necessary, building exteriors can be treated with a pyrethroid-based insecticide in late September or early October. Although they may voluntarily leave after a few days or weeks.
Spraying insecticides, squashing them may result in orange staining on the walls and fabric. The orange stain is actually blood that comes out of the joints of the legs when the beetle is stressed (reflex bleeding). This protective mechanism tastes bad and produces a foul odor. It is easier to get the broom or vacuum and sweep them up and put them back outside away from the house.
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Help! I have something like a chipmunk in my flowerbed and all over the yard, digging holes everywhere. The size of a chipmunk but different, no long tail if any and they are light brown with dark brown stripes. Are they chipmunks? How do I get rid of?
It could be a type of ground squirrel or chipmunk. Chipmunks are not protected in Illinois and therefore you can trap them. Live trapping with commercial or homemade boxes can reduce their numbers. Once caught they need to be released at least one mile away from the area. Rat sized snap trap also work, but they will kill them. Use peanut butter, nut meats, sunflower seeds or rolled oats as bait and place in the area where they seem to be off nuisance.
Comment by Kris — 3/23/2005 @ 9:02 am
MI like your information on plants that do not appeal to deer. Do you offer information on flowers (annual or perennial) that the rabits will not eat?
Rabbits have been very prolific this season and when hungry will eat just about anything; a plant that may be recommended as rabbit proof may turn out to get eaten anyway. Here are a few perennials that Bugs bunny does not like: vinca, yucca, columbine, spurge, daylilly, daffodils, solomon seal and sedum. Not a very extensive list. There are some things you can do. Fencing seems to be the most effective-bury 6 inches of a 2 and a half foot chicken wire fence underground.
There are several repellants which should be used before damage occurs or the animal has tasted the plant. Thiram a fungicide is recommended as an animal repellant. Deer Away & Hinder seem to get good results for both deer and rabbits. People have tried baby powder, blood meal and lion feces with mixed results. They do not weather well and need to be re-applied on foliage every 5 days or after any rain or dew. Another interesting one is coffee grounds mixed in the soil. Coffee is high in nitrogen and acid, moderation is a good idea in areas with low ph. If all else fails a dog.
Comment by Kris — 3/28/2005 @ 12:31 pm
Help!! Squirrels are eating all my flowers and veggies.
Comment on Plant & Gardening Tips, for topic: Nothing is more frustrating than putting all that time and effort into planting only to find something’s had a great smorgasborg at your expense. Sources tell me that repellents containing pure capsaicin (see Capsaicin article)will repel squirrels, rabbits & deer. For a nice piece of change,there are some commercial products out there that specifically claim to be rabbit and squirrel deterents. You can make your own version in your kitchen by mixing 1/2 cup finely chopped Jalepenos or Habanero peppers w.1/2 gal of water. Boil 20 min. do not inhale vapors as they can burn, strain, and use as spray. Wear gloves when handling peppers. You can also try ground cayenne peppers. Re-apply once a week or after heavy rain. Hopefully, this will keep those buggers at bay.
Comment by Kris — 3/28/2005 @ 12:38 pm
I have lots of tiny black bugs (beetles?)on my orange gerbera daisy. Some are even on the leaves. I could not find on the web what they are. Could you please comment?
Comment by Kristine Doom — 6/8/2007 @ 5:52 am