Swarms of Ladybirds

[*Peaches* 10]

Has anyone elses house been attacked by litterally hundreds of ladybirds? Over the last two days I've found them everywhere:help:

[andyofborg 11]

no, they are all going to spend the winter hibernating under your bed

[tj68 10]

Me too, theres them other ones too, black with red spots, apparantely they are eating the larva of red ladybirds so wiping them out

[ampersand 10]

there were two on my boxer shorts when i took them off the clothes line yesterday - not sure if they were planning on hibernating though

 

my better half says they would have had an undisturbed sleep!

[OlDog 10]

Yep all over my window for the last week or so, dozens of them! Seem to be very slow an lethargic and a quick google suggests they are looking for somewhere to hibernate -

 

http://www.uksafari.com/ladybirds8.htm

[horribleblob 210]

Had some crawling over the bathroom mirror last night. Moved them to the outside netty so they can hibernate in peace.

[fiveof 10]

Me too, theres them other ones too, black with red spots, apparantely they are eating the larva of red ladybirds so wiping them out

 

one of these little feckers bit me on the arm the other day and it felt very similar to a wasp sting, left a mark for two days aswell

I've never been bitten by a normal looking ladybird though

[Locksley 10]

noticed a couple in the bathroom this afternoon, had to shoo them out lol.

[Twiglet 10]

one of these little feckers bit me on the arm the other day and it felt very similar to a wasp sting, left a mark for two days aswell

I've never been bitten by a normal looking ladybird though

 

These are Harlequin ladybirds and they do bite. Nasty, horrible little things. If you get a swarm, try and keep your windows and doors shut as much as possible and they should pass over in a few hours.

 

If they get into the house, do not hoover them up. They secrete a foul smelling substance when distressed and you'll NEVER get the smell out of your hoover!

 

Don't have any qualms about killing them; they're an invasive species and they're pushing out and eating our native ladybirds, but do check images online to make sure you've got the right ones! If they're swarming, they're almost certainly harlequins.

[droplink 10]

We been getting these were i work in a residential home, all i do spend all day hunting them down and killing them they are such a pest and if you dont kill them they will nest, and then before you know it you will have hundreds of the buggers as they reproduce really quick.

 

They do leave a nasty smell if they are distressed i been told its a call for help which i thought was stupid - then when i went to stamp on one this black one with orange spots came right at me landed on my arm and then it bit me! So i killed that one to.

[lizelard 10]

yes we've had them this weekend the black ones with red spots....should i be doing something to exterminate them like a flick of the flip flop or some other similar weapon

[Stepman 10]

The Harmonia Axyridis will quickly disappear as the weather becomes colder.