As summer wound down, many homeowners found a new houseguest – the Asian ladybugs. While the brightly colored beetles may look cheerful, they are unwelcomed pests that homeowners want to send packing. Meeker County extension educator Dave Schwartz said that the only way to get rid of the pest in your home is to do a thorough cleaning. But this type of cleaning won’t involve mops, buckets or dust rags, all you will need is your vacuum. “To get rid of ladybugs, homeowners should vacuum them up,” Schwartz said. He warned that a simple vacuum may not take care of the problem. “People need to throw them out of the vacuum or they can come crawling out again. They might want to separate the vacuum from the house by storing it in the garage.” A pestful purpose While Asian ladybugs can annoy families, they do have a purpose. The bugs help by eating aphids off of soybean plants. “The soybean aphid is a leaf sucker,” Schwartz said. “It is a brand new insect that we have just been seeing.” He explained that the aphids damage the crops. Fields were sprayed to keep the aphids away and Asian ladybugs were brought in to eat the suckers. “Some fields had 4,000-5,000 aphids per plant,” Schwartz said. In comparison, soybeans housed about 2-4 ladybugs per plant. Returning from a hard day’s work Just as a farmer comes in after a long day in the field, ladybugs have also completed their work. Now that their job in the field is done, they are seeking warmth and comfort in homes. “Lots of inspects are moving into their wintering stage,” Schwartz said. “Some lay eggs in the tree and the adults die.” He explained that this isn’t the case with the ladybugs. “Ladybugs crawl under debris or seek warmth inside. They are really in the home for warmth … and to bother.” If ladybugs are not vacuumed, they will hibernate through the winter. They usually show up again in late March or April. “When it is cold, they can lie dormant for a long time,” Schwartz said. “Unfortunately, they return in March or April. They will show up again on the west and south side windows because they like where it is warm.”
