Phenology for 10/24/12: Asian Lady Beetles

I've not seen a lot of these cute little nuisances around the Cat Sanctuary lately. The Asian Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis, is a species of "ladybug" that can have quite a range of colors and spot patterns. Although helpful to farmers, like other ladybugs, Asian Ladies are a nuisance in winter when they seek shelter inside humans' homes.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hse-fact/1030.html

First the good news. I've heard some wild rumors about this exotic insect species...that they eat wood, that they attack humans, that they kill native lady beetles, or they've been genetically engineered and introduced by an enemy country for some other evil reason. All wrong. They're a natural, though not native, insect that helps farmers by eating aphids and other pests. They don't do any real harm to any normal human (but see observations on allergies, below). They're a nuisance because they have very little sense and no brain to speak of.

They're not the only species of "ladybug" that can nip, although no ladybug can bite hard enough to do humans much damage. However, at this time of year, when they're trying their wings and are apt to zoom straight into humans, they're also apt to be pursued by insect-eating paper wasps. Paper wasps do sting; some people have severe allergy reactions to paper wasp venom.

The Ohio State University site linked above contains the surprising (to me) information that some people have mild allergy reactions to ladybugs' blood--contact allergies, or even inhalant allergies--and although my guess would be that if you sneeze when exposed to an indoor ladybug you're probably reacting to mold spores that might stick to the animal, they also recommend not bothering the beetles, to reduce exposure to their blood. You already knew better than to bother a paper wasp.

Ladybugs are absolutely not serious pests, and although O.S.U. suggests some pesticides that will kill them, the position of this web site is that no ladybug species should ever be poisoned. If they're annoying you, scoop them up in a matchbox. Like most beetles, Harmonia axyridis don't seem to mind, or even notice, being scooped up in matchboxes and removed from a building. Their reaction to any new thing that pops up in their way is "explore," so they usually cooperate...right up to the point where, if you really want to help the species evolve away from its attraction to places like your kitchen, you drop them into the fire.

O.S.U. discusses harmless repellent scents...the problem being that some people out there might object to having camphor in the kitchen even more than they object to having beetles. However, having poisonous pesticide sprays in the kitchen has got to be worse than camphor, beetles, menthol, or all three together.