ladybug oddities?

From: "Kathy Kempf" wont_read101 at hotmail.com> on 2002.04.27 at 03:27:06(8657) I am taking part in our local university's study about Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles. Anybody else in the country/world notice ladybugs acting odd in the fall? They were released in the midwest several times in the past couple of decades to try to help control aphids in hardwood forests. Trouble is, they swarm and try to find places to hibernate. Since they can't find cliffs as in their native habitat, they are infesting people's houses by the hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands here in the American midwest. I know they have penetrated into central Indiana, but not yet into western New York (Buffalo area). They also bite, and increasing numbers of people are having allergic reactions. +More These look very similar to native American ladybugs; they are colored from dark to light orange, with varying numbers of black spots. For more information, check out the Ohio State University IPM site at www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/ I am not a researcher with this group, just a participant. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

From: Bob Burns bobburns61 at yahoo.com> on 2002.04.28 at 04:16:53(8665) Hello Kathy! We have these ladybugs in plenty, or something very like them, in Georgia. I thought I had heard they were introduced, originally into FL, to control aphids in pecan groves; though that makes sense if they go after them on hardwoods generally. I understand they are since spreading north and becoming more abundant. They gather and look for shelter in the fall where they spend the winter. I certainly have found clumps of them in the cold weather in sheds, woodpiles and other sheltered spots, so I guess they could get into a not-well-sealed cabin or house. And they do bite at the least disturbance. Bob Burns +More --- Kathy Kempf wrote: > I am taking part in our local university's study > about Multicolored Asian > Lady Beetles. Anybody else in the country/world > notice ladybugs acting odd > in the fall? They were released in the midwest > several times in the past > couple of decades to try to help control aphids in > hardwood forests. > Trouble is, they swarm and try to find places to > hibernate. Since they > can't find cliffs as in their native habitat, they > are infesting people's > houses by the hundreds or thousands or tens of > thousands here in the > American midwest. I know they have penetrated into > central Indiana, but not > yet into western New York (Buffalo area). > > They also bite, and increasing numbers of people are > having allergic > reactions. > > These look very similar to native American ladybugs; > they are colored from > dark to light orange, with varying numbers of black > spots. > > For more information, check out the Ohio State > University IPM site at > www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/ > > I am not a researcher with this group, just a > participant. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com

From: "Celeste Whitlow" politicalamazon at charter.net> on 2002.04.29 at 22:03:20(8673) Well, isn't that a kick in the pants! They introduce a lady bug that will bite? The same brain trust that decided to introduce the mongoose to Hawaii must have been in charge of this ladybug decision. --Celeste +More ----- Original Message ----- To: "Multiple recipients of list AROID-L" Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 9:16 PM Subject: Re: Informal survey: ladybug oddities? > Hello Kathy! > We have these ladybugs in plenty, or something > very like them, in Georgia. I thought I had heard > they were introduced, originally into FL, to control > aphids in pecan groves; though that makes sense if > they go after them on hardwoods generally. I > understand they are since spreading north and becoming > more abundant. They gather and look for shelter in the > fall where they spend the winter. I certainly have > found clumps of them in the cold weather in sheds, > woodpiles and other sheltered spots, so I guess they > could get into a not-well-sealed cabin or house. And > they do bite at the least disturbance. > Bob Burns > --- Kathy Kempf wrote: > > I am taking part in our local university's study > > about Multicolored Asian > > Lady Beetles. Anybody else in the country/world > > notice ladybugs acting odd > > in the fall? They were released in the midwest > > several times in the past > > couple of decades to try to help control aphids in > > hardwood forests. > > Trouble is, they swarm and try to find places to > > hibernate. Since they > > can't find cliffs as in their native habitat, they > > are infesting people's > > houses by the hundreds or thousands or tens of > > thousands here in the > > American midwest. I know they have penetrated into > > central Indiana, but not > > yet into western New York (Buffalo area). > > > > They also bite, and increasing numbers of people are > > having allergic > > reactions. > > > > These look very similar to native American ladybugs; > > they are colored from > > dark to light orange, with varying numbers of black > > spots. > > > > For more information, check out the Ohio State > > University IPM site at > > www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ipm/ > > > > I am not a researcher with this group, just a > > participant. > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness > http://health.yahoo.com

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