Lady bugs are coming

[colebrookman]

The lady bugs are here. Started Friday, have the vacuum out and ready. Last year was so great. Very few bugs; maybe all the rain this year increased production. Also nut production is better this year. Good for the wildlife including field mice so deer ticks will be a bigger problem next year. Good old mother nature. Be safe.
Ed

 

[nlittle]

They are here too.....tons around my house yesterday!

 

[m0jumb0]

i expect a bunch to come down out of my chimney when we have our first fire... guess I should make it a hot one!

 

[eba1225]

We don't have any yet....but we do have tons of Stink bugs.

 

[MishMouse]

I do not like those asian beetles at all, its been cold and rainy here lately so they haven't yet appeared in force. But, once it drys up and gets sunny my house will be covered with them again.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Here I've noticed that they are not bad until we get Indian Summer. As long as it stays cloudy and cool they mostly stay away, but let us have a 60 degree day or warmer with sunshine and they come by the millions.

One note: They do not like lemon. So lemon scented dish soap in a sprayer does help along the outside of the house. I just spray the siding.

Indoors, rather than using a vacuum, my wife puts a little dish soap and water in the bottom of an empty yogurt cup and just brushes the bugs into the cup. They don't last long and they don't stick either. Still best to keep them on the outside if possible.

 

[billb3]

I have a white house ( they suppoedly like lighter colours) and the South side of mine will get covered in the Fall. They'll keep finding thier way in during the Winter . Supposedly a warm day will get them looking for a way back out of thier hibernation cracks and they go the wrong way. A glass and a card seems to be a good way to scoop them up and throw them out. I should paint a few to see if I'm putting the same ones out, repeatedly.

 

[triptester]

The bottom half of my house is white stucco, within the next month I expect the south side to be so thick with lady bugs and box elder beetles I hate using the back door. I have only seen a couple so far. I cut down one box elder tree I had on the property last fall hopefully this will eliminate the box elder beetles. I found they like to spend the winter behind the vinyl siding on the top half of the house.

 

[LLigetfa]

Here the ladybugs are conspicuous by their absence. It went down to -4C last night (14F) and more of the same is predicted. You'd think if they are going to make a show that they would have by now.

 

[eba1225]

Never heard that about the lemon scent for the stink beatles. Will try that.

 

[joat717]

I would hate to even guess how many my shop vac has consumed this year! lol

 

[colebrookman]

Ladybug update. Once again we had some, maybe fifty or so. Same as last year. Nothing like the thousands that we normally had in the past. This must be related to something; sun spots, climate change, hungry birds. Kind of scary in a way. Maybe they all migrated back to Asia and their sandstone caves. Time for a big buck government study! Be safe.
Ed

 

[Valhalla]

Ladybugs are usually very welcome to us.
A sign of good luck around the globe.

It is those Asian and other beetles that are on the
unwanted pest and kill list. Causing great
damage and harm to our forests.

Check out the below link from the NYS DEC:

(broken link removed to http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6986.html)

 

[Gooserider]

Never really had a problem w/ ladybugs - as predatory insects they are welcome far as I'm concerned... The one that I haven't seen in years, and wish I did is the praying mantis...

Gooserider