Ladybuts With An Attitude

We know ladybugs to be beneficial in the garden. Those red, white-spotted shells mean we have an ally who is willing to happily munch on some of less helpful critters who tend to proliferate in our backyards.

As a natural solution, they are hard to beat. However, man can’t leave well enough alone and so introduced a cousin, if you will, from Asia. The initial purpose was to counter the heavy aphid accumulation in garden spaces.

So back in 1910 states like California, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut took the step to introduce this insect to the challenge in American plots. However, it was not well thought out since these beetles are different in some important ways.

While the burned orange shells to the familiar red shells do not always give them away, the black spots and a larger size do. But as they flutter past, that might not seem so obvious.

The Department of Agriculture was soon to realize some of their habits might be detrimental. One is that they are not friendly and in fact, tend to bite. Also, they have an odour that is nauseous along with a yellow, tacky trail and they try to get inside in the fall similar to our stink bugs that are also a nuisance.

And if that wasn’t enough, they push our local species out so they can dominate the scene. The trick is to define which is which so you can eradicate the issue. To be sure, look for the black ‘M’ between the head and the wings.

Also, if you happen to spot one indoors that might be a clue since our locals do not congregate in our homes. Along with pushing locals away, they might eat their young and compete for the same insects. So see them as a threat.

To give this story a happy ending since they have now spread to parts of Canada closer to the border and more broadly through the states, you need to be vigilant. Seal off any cracks so they cannot enter your home, use gloves, maybe use a pressure washer and a power vacuum with a way to seal them off in a container you can dispose of.