What’s in a reputation? Ladybug, girl beetle, girl chook beetle – meet the house invading Multicolored Asian Girl Beetle, Harmonia axyridis — Bug of the Week

Are these girl beetles merely nosey or are we subsequent on the menu now that the aphids are gone? As winter approaches, Harmonia search protected areas resembling crevices and cracks in rocky cliffs and outcroppings to flee the ravages of winter. All through the cities and suburbs of the DMV rocky cliffs are scarce, however houses and buildings are plentiful. Just like the brown marmorated stink bug we met in earlier episodes, that is the time that Harmonia fly to human-made constructions and try to search out refuge. Any cracks round home windows, breaks in stone foundations, unscreened vents within the attic, or gaps in facer boards can permit entry into your private home. As soon as contained in the beetles settle-in and turn out to be dormant for the winter. Many will dehydrate or starve to dying indoors, however on heat days within the late winter and early spring survivors might turn out to be lively and discover their approach to sunny home windows, the place they try to flee. To forestall girl beetles and different invaders from coming into your private home, restore screens in your home windows and vents, caulk your basis, seal air conditioners, and get rid of factors of entry to your private home. Not solely will this maintain invaders out, however it’s going to additionally assist maintain heat air in and scale back your heating prices. If you happen to discover the beetles are an issue indoors, fastidiously sweep or vacuum them up and launch them in a protected spot outside resembling a device shed or wooden pile.

One of many actual delights of the season is to go to close by summits such because the rocky crags of Previous Rag Mountain in Virginia or Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland to witness legions of multicolored Asian ladybeetles gathering on the sunny cliffs for one final bask within the solar earlier than handing over for the winter. However you higher hurry. The arrival of the multicolored Asian girl beetle is a positive signal that Previous Man Winter is simply across the nook.

Acknowledgements

Bug of the Week thanks Kevin Ambrose whose current account of Harmonia within the Washington Submit offered the inspiration for this episode. The attention-grabbing examine by Sam Ramsey and John Losey entitled “Why is Harmonia axyridis the perpetrator in coccinellid biting incidents? “, “The chemical ecology of Harmonia axyridis” by John J. Sloggett, Alexandra Magro, François J. Verheggen, Jean-Louis Hemptinne, William D. Hutchison, and Eric W. Riddick, and “Multicolored Asian Girl Beetle” by Joe Boggs and Susan Jones have been consulted to arrange this text.