I'm not entirely sure where they all come from but I'm fairly certain they are here to stay, except of course for the Ladybugs Binny sucked up with the vacuum.
Really though, it seems no matter how many we suck up with the vac, more appear... almost instantly.
I always thought Ladybugs (Asian beetles or whatever you wish to call them) were an old house thing. Our house is over 100 years old, but my in-laws' newer (roughly 10 year old) home has a case of ladybug-itis about the same strength as ours. I also have a friend who has been having some minor ladybug issues, mainly her infant daughter eating them. Yum! Ladybugs are full of protein right?
I have sort of given up on trying to get rid of them altogether. Last year when we repainted the exterior of our house, we caulked every seam and window, hoping that would help keep the ladybugs (and the cold winter wind) out of the house. Obviously that didn't work. Realistically I don't think complete eradication can be done without some serious pesticides, which we're not willing to go for... at least not yet. I will say that my vacuum with its super-extending wand is awesome for ladybug sucking!
And just for fun, because who can talk about ladybugs without thinking of classic Sesame Street? Not me at least...
8 comments:
Here in Southern Ohio, our ladybug infestation happens in the fall. When Violet was just an infant we were bombarded with non-native yellow, orange & brown ladybugs and THEY bite. I had bites all over me. My husband was very amused and taught Vi a little game with her ladybug toy.
"What do the ladybugs do?"
"Bite, Bite, Bite!"
I always heard that it was good luck to have ladybugs in your house. But that's just too many for my taste.
You might look for an eco-friendly exterminator. We had to use one here for a sugar ant problem. The stuff they use is less toxic to humans than caffeine and it's REALLY effective.
Wow, this post brings back some serious SE Wisconsin memories. We experienced a vast improvement over the number entering our home after we tore out some of the plaster and insulated some of the outside walls in our home (and in doing so sealed up some of their entry/hibernating space). It's possible that when you sealed up your house last year they were already inside hibernating, so perhaps you'll see an improvement next year....
I'm in northeast ohio, and I believe we usually don't see them either...til later on in the year. But I always heard that you're supposed to have good luck if you take them outside. lol (the little girl sucking them up with the vaccum...hysterical~!)
But I'm thinking that you have soooo many of them (my gosh!) that you'd NEED to suck them up. That's a lot of luck!
I'd suck up the ladybugs too if I had that many. My MIL hates them. She painted the exterior of her house to tan because she heard it wouldn't attract as many as the blue color paint they had. It didn't make a difference.
Great Blog & photo! Asian ladybugs were imported by the Gov. to combat the overpopulation of Aphid on the Lima bean in the Farm Belt. The official ID the Aphid as a Asian Aphid so the imported the Asian Ladybugs by the thousands they took care of the Aphids but they have different migration,eating habits & one thing the offical did not know they like human homes! If they had use the Convergent Lady beetle this would not be a problem, because they migrate to the moutains for the winter, then return for the spring.
New Blog of the Hx. of the Ladybug: http://historyoftheladybug.blogspot.com/
funny! But ladybugs are good - they eat other bugs, seriously. I'd much rather have a billion ladybugs than get those yucky little silverfish we get... bleagh!
I've never seen that before! We get spiders - when we lived in MO we used to have grasshoppers EVERYWHERE!
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