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Invasion of the Lady Bugs!

I had an inspection today on a vacant home. Ya, I know that vacant homes are the norm in many areas of the country. But this was just not a normal home.

What was so strange about this home was that the floors were covered in dead Lady Bugs! The Realtor told me that he was in the home last week and he did not see any bugs when he was showing the home. This is most likely true, as at the first of the week we had temperatures around 80f and for the past couple of days it has been in the 20's and 30's.

I contacted a pest control contractor and he said the the Lady Bugs lay their eggs and then die. T told him what I found and he was quick to tell me that the next time the temps rise to around 80f again, that the egs will hatch and more bugs will appear. Apparently the L Bugs search out warm areas when it starts to get cool after a warm up makes them become active. Once the find a warmer area they lay their eggs and die.

This is what I found!

Posted by Scott Patterson - Middle TN Home Inspector on 03/13/2009 04:11 PM

Comments (8)

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8 Comments on Invasion of the Lady Bugs!

MAR

Hi Scott,

My understanding of these is that they are not true lady bugs but a cousin. I get them in my South facing windows every year. Easy to deal with and not a nuisance.

MAR

Two words, "Shop Vac"

MAR

Yep, I agree with the shop vac! After some research I have discovered that the Lady Bugs, use the nooks and crannies of the home for protection during the cold weather. When it starts to warm up, they head toward light and bright colors. They don't have a clue that the inside of a home is not the direction that they want to go, so they end-up in like the photos.

The PC contractor was wrong! They don't lay their eggs inside the home and then die.

We had an invasion a few years back in the RV that we left parked down in South Texas. Wish they would come further up to Canyon Lake as we can use them in the garden.

MAR

Scott, those are quite comminin this area. We call them japanese beetles. They can become a nuisance in early spring and late summer when the weather patterns are changing.

Wow, good post Scott I always had an incling that this is what occured with the dreaded lady bugs but never knew for sure.

MAR

Hi Ian,

The Japanese beetle that I know of are not a "good" insect. They eat vegetation and will just kill about any soft leaf plant in very short order. They are about the size of a dime and look almost metallic in the sunlight. The lady bugs I found were the orange with black spots, they are actually a good bug. They eat aphids and other sucking bugs.

Randy,

It was an education for me as well. For years I have seen them, but just not in this quantity.

Interesting Scott, now I have to go do some homework and educate all the farmers in the area. I wonder i fthis is just a regional term we use here?

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