| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Actual Size | 6 to 10mm |
| Color | Dark, reddish-orange – sometimes mustard yellow – with spots on the wing covers |
| Body | Oval and convex |
| Legs | 6 |
| Antennae | Yes |
| Wings | Yes |
Habitat:
- Crops, fields in summer
- Wall voids, attics, the side of homes and buildings
Habits:
- Emit a yellow secretion with a foul odor as a defense mechanism
- Can bite or pinch on rare occasions
- Overwinter in protected places and emerge in the spring
Introduced to the United States from Asia to control crop pests such as aphids, the Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetle is often mistaken for the Ladybug. These beetles can be a huge nuisance for homeowners as they will overwinter in wall voids and emerge en masse in the spring.
Asian Lady Beetle Habitat
During the summer, Asian Lady Beetles live on crops and in fields feeding on pests such as aphids and scale insects. During the fall, they find protected areas such as the sides of homes, inside wall voids, and attics to overwinter. They are attracted to illuminated surfaces, preferring the southwest sides of buildings as they look for dark cracks and crevices to crawl into for protection. Once they have a protected area, the Asian Lady Beetles will stay there until the spring when they emerge to warmer temperatures.
Behaviors and Dangers
While Asian Lady Beetles do not pose a physical threat, they can be a great nuisance to homeowners. They can bite or pinch humans if handled but their most common defense mechanism is to emit a yellowish secretion with a foul odor that can leave a stain. Because they cannot survive in sub-freezing temperatures, they seek out buildings to overwinter in and will emerge in large quantities in the spring, often staining drapery and walls.
Asian Lady Beetles are beneficial to farmers as they do help with controlling crop-eating pests such as aphids and scale insects. They are becoming a concern of the wine industry as even small numbers of beetles processed with the grapes can taint the flavor of the wine.
What to do if you think you have an Asian Lady Beetle infestation
If you are currently seeing a large infestation of Asian Lady Beetles in your home, there is little you can do to get rid of them at this time. Since they have been overwintered in your home, treating the inside of your home will not help too much, so the best thing you can do is to vacuum or sweep them up and throw them outside or flush them.
If you are interested in reducing the infestation for next spring, The Bug Man and Queen Bee do offer a fall reduction service for Asian Lady Beetles. If you are interested in learning more about this service or getting an estimate for your home, give us a call! Our friendly office staff will give you an estimate over the phone and get you on the schedule. On the day of your appointment, our experts will treat your entire home with extra focus on the sunny sides that they are attracted to, greatly reducing the number of Asian Lady Beetles overwintering in your home. As a local and family-owned business, we take great pride in meeting and exceeding our Milwaukee-area customers expectations. Contact us today to learn more about our Asian Lady Beetles pest control services & for your free estimate!