Day 267 | Friday, 11 December 2020

Day 267 - Audio Version

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Day 267 | Friday,  11 December 2020
From the Church Mouse


I have had a good deal of feedback from the conversation about native Red Ladybugs. I will answer your questions first. 1) If you see any similar Lady Beetles congregating in your windows this winter, they are the invasive Asian Lady Beetles and must be removed and eliminated. If there is a large group of them, vacuum them up and remove the bag and put it outside in your garbage to be taken away with next Friday’s trash. 2) Yes, they do bite. I think the best thing to do, since I have just noticed them this past summer, is to provide you with something to help you identify these invaders.

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The Asian Lady Beetle originally comes from countries in Asia such as China, Korea, and Japan. In 1998, the United States Department of Agriculture released the first population of this type of beetle to help protect fields and crops from other agricultural pests that would harm crops (e.g., pecans and apples). Good for them.
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The Differences Between Ladybugs and Asian Lady  Beetles

Ladybugs and Asian lady Beetles definitely look similar. If you look closely, however, you’ll be able to spot a few key differences. First of all, Asian Lady Beetles are slightly larger than Ladybugs. While all Ladybugs are bright red with black spots, Asian Lady Beetles’ coloration can vary from red to orange.
 

M  shape on head   No M shape on head

​Asian Lady Beetles have some natural predators, so nature will help us with this project. The primary predators of Asian Lady Beetles are birds. We may also count on ring-legged earwigs, green lacewings and American toads. Go nature!