Crawling around the corners of my windows are what look like ladybugs, but these are imposters called Asian Lady Beetles. As the weather begins to cool in the fall and on any warm days during the winter these little creepy crawlies appear in piles on the window panes, crawling around the window and door frames and near any little crack or crevice they can find on the South and West Sides of the house.
Inside the house they crawl on the walls and ceilings, they pile up in the insides of the windows and doors. I have even had one of these little ladybug lookalikes land in my coffee. I can assure you they do not taste good. When you smash or corner one they let off a nasty smell, that is what it tastes like in a mouthful of coffee too. Yuck!! When they accumulate they will leave a bad odor and little yellow spots on walls and windows that takes soap and water to remove.
What are Asian Lady Beetles?
I have done some research on these little imposters and found that Asian Beetles are relatively new to the United States. They are native to Asia, where they live in the trees and shrubs outdoors as our native ladybugs do here. However unlike our ladybugs these imposters look for places to overwinter indoors rather than in brush piles and leaves outside. The first recorded problem with large infestations of Asian lady beetles was in the early 1990’s.
During the 1960’s to the 1990’s the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture attempted to establish colonies of these insects to control agricultural pests mainly in pecans and apples. They released Asian lady Beetles in many states including Georgia, South Carolina, California, Washington and others. During the spring and summer the adults and larvae live on a diet of aphid and other insect larvae, searching the undersides of leaves and stems of roses bushes and other ornamental plants in the yard as well as corn, soybeans and other vegetable crops.
Studies show that illuminated surfaces attract the Asian lady Beetles. White or light colored siding and paint seem to be favorite landing zones when cool weather comes. They will crawl into any crack or crevice they find and will inhabit attics, soffits and wall boards. When a warm winter day awakens them they crawl out and quite often end up inside the house. Light from fixtures and windows will be a congregating spot for these pests.
Are Asian Lady Beetles Harmful?
The Asian lady beetle is not usually harmful to humans. They do not sting or bite, however they do pinch which feels like a sting or pinprick. Some people do have an allergic reaction to large infestations because of the stinky fluid they leave behind. It can create eye irritation and/or asthma reactions in some humans.
The little lady bug imposters are more of an aggravation than anything. They do not have any natural enemies and there is not a good indoor pesticide to eliminate them. One good thing is they do not reproduce indoors. The best way to get rid of them is a vacuum cleaner. Suck them up and destroy the bag so they do not crawl back out.
How to Identify the Native Lady Bug
When looking at the Asian lady beetle and a native lady bug there is a marked difference. Asian lady beetles are larger than the lady bug. The Asian beetle can be varied in color ranging from red/orange, orange or even yellow the native ladybugs are red. The heads of the two are also a defining point. The native ladybug has a rounded head with tiny white dots like cheeks. Asian lady beetle is oval with a pointed face and a very defined M black marking on their white head.
Next time you see a “ladybug” take a closer look, it may be the imposter. The helpful ladybug will never sneak into your home to overwinter. She is happy to stay outside in the brush pile. Waiting to wake up next spring to start eating harmful larvae. The native ladybug is a welcome addition to the garden.
Please leave me a comment about your experiences with the Asian lady beetle. I am curious if they are as big a nuisance in other parts of the United States.