Just a thought. I've read that the University of VA has taken the credit (blame) for an out of control experiment with the buggers. They sure do stink and dang things bite (pinch?). There Kazillions of them outside and 1000's inside here.

Our defense includes the vaccum cleaner, sticky fly strips and a bug zapper light.

How do you get rid of these pest?

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), October 22, 2001

Answers

Kenneth! Without the benefit of a fly swatter [broke it smash'n'm] and the fact I'm too lazy to keep at it-I went to Rural Kind and bought a nice pump up sprayer. Next in line was Malathon spray. I found that at Wallyworld and bout a pint for $7. Mix it HEAVY and spray the daylight outta them. It won't kill'm immediately but it will kill'm! Had bazillions [not killazillions] of'm on the back porch-dead'r'n a door nail! I killed less than a dozen today inside the house and ONE outside! I didn't spray inside the house but if they move back in---I will!

Now, if only I can figger out a profitable and suitable market for'm-- i'd surely be rich! old hoot. Matt.24:44

-- "old " hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 22, 2001.

So THAT's what those are!!!!! For the past two days whole bunches of these ladybugs have been all over my front windows like something out of a sci-fi movie.."they're getting inside, quick, get the torches...ahhhhhhhhh"....if I leave them alone will they just go away when it gets cold....like away to Guatemala for instance????

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 22, 2001.

I don't know about Virginia, but a few years ago, the federal government started an experiment with the brownish-orange lady bugs (beetles) and it got out of hand. Maybe the U of Va did the same thing.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony@countrylife.net), October 22, 2001.

Well gee! I'm so glad somebody could explain why my house got infiltrated and the outside was full of them!!!

Also, am infiltrated with wasps and yellow jackets. They are all over the property suddenly. We couldn't even go back inside. They aren't trying to attack but they sure are a lot of them. Never seen so many.

-- Stephanie Nosacek (possumliving@go.com), October 22, 2001.

Once again, I'm glad to hear someone else has a problem with insects this year! Here in AL there are so many yellow jackets that the hummingbirds will not come to the feeders anymore and the wasps are literally everywhere! We sure did not have this problem last year, nor have I ever seen these ladybugs before either..BTW, what does kill wasps anyway?????? I mean is there an insect that eats them?

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 22, 2001.

Those Asian lady bugs have been around here for years and this time of year I go around with a vacuum hose in my hand! They are just looking for a warm place for winter but I don't want them in my house!

-- Barb (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), October 23, 2001.

I think My addie explains my outlook about any ladybugs.

Asian ladybugs feed on aphids in trees, not in the rose garden.

In the summer caulk and seal your house real well, especially on the south side of the building.

Put up Ladybug houses on the south side of the house or barn. Old shutters work great for these.

Put ladybug lures in your trees and maybe a house there, too.

Scoop them up live into jars or ziplock bags and store them in the fridge and sell or give them away to organic orchardists in the spring.

Free range chickens, guinnas (?) and ducks make short work of them.

I only have one or two in the house at any given time and they are busy feeding from my tamgerine tree.

I grew up with the old fashioned concept of "If you kill it, you eat it." so I don't really have an interest in eating ladybugs.

Everyone says how bad they stink, I have a very sensitive nose and I can't smell them. I can smell ants, I can smell the difference between an Chevy and a Ford, I can smell a bear a mile away. I can smell snow up to 24 hours before it falls, but I cannot smell ladybugs.

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), October 23, 2001.

My chickens free range, but the ladybugs are on the house and the trees so they cannot get them..I just closed the windows during the day and do not have any of them inside..The wasps and yellow jackets are driving me nuts though..it's supposed to get down in the 30's tonight and I hope the little nasties all freeze to death before sunrise!

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), October 25, 2001.

Haha, when ladybugs started coming into my house last year, I felt particularly blessed to have so many of them!!:)

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), October 26, 2001.

Well, I wouldn't let my hubby kill the lady bugs cause I know there are a lot of dust mites still in the house and figured they would eat em'; however, those yellow jackets are another subject all together.

After hours of research this is what I found out on the internet...

1. Try to find the nest and burn it out. 2. If you can't find the nest then you have two options. a. Build a trap with fruit juices and meat in it and they will drown. b. Find a way to get sevin dust on em and they will track it back to the nest and kill all of the rest.

Other than that you have to let God freeze em out.

-- Stephanie Nosacek (possumliving@go.com), October 26, 2001.

Hi, guys; all the info you will ever need is found at ladybuglady.com/

If you don't want them, send them my way!

JOJ

-- joj (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), October 26, 2001.

Thanks for the link, Joe. I knew there were lots of diversity in the ladybug world and this helped me identify several species interbreeding in my trees last summer.

Stephanie, I agree with you. I will take ladybug infestations ANYTIME over yellow jackets, fleas, box elder bugs, earwigs, cokroaches or Doreen's grasshoppers!

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@hotmail.com), October 26, 2001.

Someone thinks the pesky ladybugs will freeze out. Wrong. They're even crawling outside the house this winter in Minnesota. Does anyone know of a natural herbal way to get rid of them (bay leaves or something?) We're tired of the ShopVac in the living room of our new house. Please e-mail! Thanks.

-- hrbie (piney@cpinternet.com), February 07, 2002.

I love the ladybugs which overwinter in my house. I just let them hang out (they tend to stay up at the corners of the ceiling) until spring comes. When they start moving about, generally trying to get out through the window glass, I use a spoon to gently knock them off the window, into my waiting coffee mug.

As far as I know, all ladybugs are beneficial insects. Of couse, if you have an excess, I understand your concern. I also have never had any Asian Ladybugs, as far as i can tell.

Here' s a url which has some great pictures of different types of ladybugs: http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm

I've found six or seven species here; before I did a modicum of research, I just thought they were "ladybugs", and never paid much attention. Now I realize they are very distinct species.

My favorite which overwinters here is the "twice stabbed ladybug" which is shiny black, with a large bright red spot on each side.

-- joj (jump@off.c), February 07, 2002.

When I called an exterminator last spring I was told to "get a flyswatter for everyroom & be fast on your feet" - well here it is February & with all of the outdoor spraying & indoor swatting we did last Summer & Fall we still have them everywhere. Last Summer we only used antiseptic soap & water but this year I'm gunning em down with real chemicals. They are biting & "attacking" like mini dive bombers - I've had it!!!!! Is there a chemical that won't be harmful to humans & house pets? HELP!!!!!!

-- Rita in Battle Creek (torviv1@aol.com), February 08, 2002.

Doesn't sound like any ladybugs I've ever seen! Ours are quite friendly, peaceful, and don't do anything but rest all winter.

Are you sure they aren't your inlaws?

-- joj (jump@off.c), February 09, 2002.

Now its October and we are nervously awaiting the first signs of the ladybug invasion. We have lived in our rural Indiana house for 5 years and each year the invasion has gotten progresively worse, with the exception of 2000 when we sprayed the outside of the house with chemicals. Then, last year, feeling guilty and hoping we'd put a big dent in the population, we didnt spray. The worst decision ever! We had the biggest invasion to date. So, this year we are ready: pumper is in good working order, chemicals are at hand and we will kill the danged things without remorse. For all of you out there saying "vacuum them up" or "but they're beneficial" you have obviously not experienced having thousands of them swarming around your living area, literally in EVERYthing, diving bombing your head at dinner, ending up in your food, your bed, the shower. For those of you who ARE experiencing an invasion, take my advice--kill them BEFORE they get in.

-- ck in Indiana (cathyk39@iwon.com), October 16, 2002.

You all rock! I needed some cases to prove ladybugs were bad for school. Woo hoo, i'm going to win! Yes yes, thank ya!

-- ME (blahblah@blah.com), December 16, 2002.

LADY BUGS ARE GOING TO SUCK OUR BRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- GARY JACKSON (SPEEDY__1894@HOTMAIL.COM), March 31, 2003.

I'm gunna eat those ladybugs they got me in trouble for raping that kid i'm innocent i tell u innocent we all wanna touch children sumtimes

-- Micheal Jackson (funkyjackson@rconnect.com), March 31, 2003.

In IL/IA these nasty critters feed on soybean aphids. When the soybeans die or are harvested, the buggerz seem to feed on people! Specifically, me. One bite seems to cause multiple bumps. I wonder what weird shit I'm gonna come down with now. And how many OTC/pharmys I'll have to buy to "cure" it!

-- Jethro Hell (jethro_hell@yahoo.com), September 19, 2003.