Denard: Asian lady beetle infestations are on the rise, especially on farms

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It’s been beetle mania around here this year and I am not talking about John, Paul, George or Ringo.

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Turns out our farmhouse, which is old and drafty but beloved for its character, has become the cool new spot for a beetle invasion, an Asian lady beetle invasion to be specific.

If you live on a farm or own a home in the country, you probably know what I am talking about.

The Asian lady beetle, or ALB for short, looks almost identical to a ladybug but as I’ve come to learn the two insects differ quite a bit.

According to the Government of Canada, the multicoloured Asian lady beetle is a specific type of ladybug that was brought to North America in the 1970s to control aphids and other crop-eating insects.

Their fast reproduction and ability to withstand harsh winters helped the ALB become one of the main species in Canada.

Appearance wise, the Government of Canada says ALBs are slightly larger than ladybugs and typically measure in at 6 to 10 mm long.

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While ladybugs are famously known for their bright red shells covered in tiny black spots, Asian lady beetles range in colour from a mustard yellow to a dark reddish orange. Some of them are spotted and some are not.

It can be difficult to tell the difference between the two types of bugs, but the multicoloured ALB also has two white oval markings on either side of its head, and an M-shaped marking just behind its head.

Good to know.

Looking at behaviour and reputation, ladybugs are loved by many and even considered good luck in some cultures.

They are voracious and efficient predators of insect pests and feed on more than 50 species of aphids.

From an agricultural perspective, the GOC says that’s a good thing because a single ladybug will eat thousands of pest insects in its lifetime, helping to protect home gardens as well as commercial orchards and vegetable crops.

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Ladybugs do not sting, transmit disease, or infect food supplies. And of the more than 450 species of ladybugs in North America, only three types feed on plants.

The same glowing review cannot be given to the Asian lady beetle, though.

Not only do Asian lady beetles bite, but they can also cause allergic skin reactions. At the same time, when an ALB feels threatened or is crushed, it can excrete a foul-smelling, yellow liquid.

Gross.

Recently, ALBs have become a cause of increasing complaint because of the sheer number being found inside homes.

Like many pests, they gather in large groupings in the fall looking for a safe, dry place to spend the winter.

They are attracted to homes and buildings with sunny exposures where they cluster on outside walls and eventually make their way indoors through cracks and openings.

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Cracks and openings, eh? Remember what I said about our drafty old farmhouse? We’ve got cracks and openings for days.

The GOC also says homes near fields or forested areas are more susceptible. I read that this morning as I looked out my window and saw nothing but fields and forested areas in both directions.

Awesome.

I’ve considered it for quite some time, but I am convinced now that we are dealing with an Asian lady beetle infestation.

To tell you that the bugs are everywhere in our house would be the understatement of my life in this moment.

I have found them in the shower, in the toilet, on my toothbrush, in my bed, in the fridge. I see them crawling on lamps, on walls, on mirrors, on doorways and don’t get me started on the windows or the corners of the ceilings.

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They are literally everywhere, and I mean everywhere! I am surprised one isn’t crawling up my arm right now as I write this.

I started asking around to friends who also live on farms and friends who don’t to see if our place was the only abode getting bombarded by these bugs.

A few friends in the city said they have one or two but nothing problematic. Four of my friends, who also live on farms and near wooded areas, described an unprecedented situation matching ours.

Interesting.

At this point, I’ve got a call into a pest control company who told me they’d be out later this month to see what’s going.

They confirmed on the phone that the Asian lady beetle is becoming particularly problematic in our area especially for those who live on a farm.

In the interim, I’ll probably spend the next month filling cracks, hanging sticky strips, and carrying my portable vacuum around like a new appendage.

I’ve got to do something. I mean, what’s the alternative, just let it be?

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