Are cute little bugs taking over your walls lately?
People on social media have been talking about how ladybugs are almost swarming homes in Illinois and the Midwest lately. Even though the bugs are cute, seeing so many of them is getting annoying.
NBC Chicago says that they might not really be ladybugs.
What They Are
It’s more likely that they are Asian lady beetles, which are also known as Halloween lady beetles or Japanese lady beetles. They usually have 19 black spots on an orange or yellow background. They have a clear black mark on their heads that looks like a “M.”
Why They’re In Everyone’s Houses Right Now
In short, they’re cold and start looking for cover around Halloween.
Peggy Anesi, a natural resources, environment and energy educator with the University of Illinois, wrote:
Like many insects, the lady beetle starts seeking small crevices to gather in large numbers and begin diapause, the name for insect hibernation. They often inadvertently crawl into basements through cracks in the foundation…The Asian lady beetle’s self-invitation causes my phone to ring as early as Halloween. Most people, not so much a naturalist, won’t tolerate even a single bug in the house so imagine the call when someone locates an entire yard full of lady beetles in the corner of their basement.
Folks who know about them say that they stay there until winter or spring. They’re not going to leave.
Harmful Or Chill
A lot of them are annoying, but experts say they’re not dangerous to people or pets. They may smell bad, though.
A “strong-smelling yellowish liquid” comes out of them and can stain light-colored surfaces if you touch them. That is how they protect themselves.
You can no longer stop them because it’s too late. That should be done by the end of September. The bugs can squeeze through a hole that is only 1/8 inch wide.
