Alexander, The multicolored Asian lady beetle can become quite a nuisance. So I provide the following for you to consider as you monitor your situation. Hopefully, you will never see more than a few. but just in case...
Like cluster flies, they are simply looking for a place to spend the winter. But they are gregarious, and some entomologists have told me they can follow the scent where other beetles found a good home the previous winter...so if they land on your building, they can follow the same route in as beetles did the year before. This means infestations might get worse from year to year. Depending on your location, infestations could become severe in time. So addressing the problem early is a good idea. In addition to becoming food for dermestids, the staining that others have mentioned is caused by a smelly orange liquid they exude when frightened or disturbed. That exudate poses several problems. As I said, it smells bad. It also means that you should not remove the beetles with a vacuum that has a beater bar or rollers...you will likely smear the liquid over what you are trying to clean and also add to the smell as the insects get crushed. Finally, some people can develop strong allergies; I personally know one person whose eyes sting and swell if she smells them or even if she rubs her eyes after touching a surface lady beetles had been on (such as a window sash). (This is not merely an anecdote...see https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20060307/ladybug-allergies-on-rise). So, in my experience this is not an insect to take too lightly (though they seem to be less severe in NY than in WI where I used to live). Remove them when you see them and do your best to exclude them in proper IPM fashion by sealing any gaps on the building exterior (e.g., around windows and doors, soffits, etc). See http://idl.entomology.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/Multicolored-Asian-Lady-Beetle.pdf for more information. One more thing: they invade homes in the fall, and in my experience that tends to begin in earnest on the first warm day after the first real cold snap of autumn...typically in October. So if it ever gets to the point where you decide you need to use an insecticide on the building exterior to help exclude them, late September or early October is probably the best time to do it, but check with your local Cooperative Extension office for the best timing in your area. (Just be sure to read and follow label directions and bear in mind that in NYS, the pest or pest group must be listed on the label for the site being treated, such as building exterior.) Note I’m not making a pesticide recommendation. I just want you to know about proper timing if you decide to use one; there’s no sense applying a pesticide when it won’t do any good. --Dan Dan Wixted Pesticide Management Education Program (PMEP) Cornell University Ph (607) 255-7525 525 Tower Road FAX (607) 255-3075 CALS Surge Facility psep.cce.cornell.edu<http://psep.cce.cornell.edu/> Ithaca, NY 14853 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of ssfaandc Sent: Wednesday, January 8, 2020 9:15 AM To: Museumpests <[email protected]> Subject: [pestlist] Ladybugs - Threat to Collections Hello fellow IPM practitioners, We have spotted a few ladybugs in our historic house museum on curtains mostly. In general, do ladybugs pose a threat to collections? Should there be cause for alarm if some are spotted? Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Alexander "Lexi" Echelman Archives and Collections Coordinator Stepping Stones - Historic Home of Bill and Lois Wilson www.steppingstones.org<http://www.steppingstones.org> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Museumpests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/d7076a3d-7ebf-49aa-8cd3-febc3e84dc5b%40googlegroups.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/d7076a3d-7ebf-49aa-8cd3-febc3e84dc5b%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Museumpests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/MN2PR04MB5998D47EB7EADB40AEAE551BAF3E0%40MN2PR04MB5998.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
