| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MsCwick |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 10:29:12 AM
Anyone else suffering from lady bug infestations this time of year?? If so, any tips, traps, ideas to keep my vaccuum from stinking like lady bug behinds?? |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Horseyrider |
Posted - Oct 23 2006 : 04:18:07 AM
Oooh, I feel your pain. This is some evidence of Your Government Working For You. *rolls eyes* These beetles were brought in from Asia as a natural pest control for aphids. But nobody thought to find out that there are no natural predators for these bugs here; even spiders don't much want to eat them. Soooo, they reproduce and swarm at an alarming rate.
The long term solution will be a diminished food supply. This year here it's already beginning to get better here. We've had some this spring and fall, but nothing like the massive swarms of a few years ago. Things should balance out eventually.
I don't know of any natural control that's very effective. We tried diatomaceous earth in the openings where they came through, but it was like trying to clean up a waterfall with a sponge. We also tried opening the windows on nice days, but as soon as the house warmed back up, they were back. They come through tiny cracks and this time of year want to move into warm places. After a couple of years of vacuuming several times a day (I never bothered to put the vacuum away in those days) I finally gave in and went to the hardware store and got something called 365. It's a very persistent bug spray. I put it in a stream just around the openings where they were so bad, which for me were east and south facing windows and doors. Then, for an amazing 365 days (actually longer) any Asian ladybug that walked across those surfaces soon died.
I really dislike insecticides. But it was worth it to me to not find them in my pantleg, my shirt, my coffee cup, the dinner on the stove, everywhere. It took a change or two of the vacuum cleaner bag to stop stinking like ladybugs, too. Now I just sweep up dead bugs every few days, and they don't release that stink. |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - Oct 22 2006 : 3:00:23 PM
cristine .. they come RIGHT back .. by the trillions ... must be mating constantly! yu can ice 'em .. vacuum 'em .. squash 'em (NOT recommended .. cuz' they stink!) .. and soon's a sunny day comes along ... they are back with a vengeance!
they are indeed asian beetles .. but look like innocent little ladybugs (orange though).
suppose lady 'bugs' are indeed 'beetles' too.
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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| MsCwick |
Posted - Oct 22 2006 : 1:37:55 PM
I heard from someone that they don't like cold, and although I have too many to do this with, she said if you hold a cup of ICE up to them, they fall off into the cup. Maybe if you have central a/c, you could blast it for a few mins, or open some windows on a cold afternoon to knock them down and make it easier to vaccuum up?!!??!!??! |
| Jana |
Posted - Oct 22 2006 : 11:57:53 AM
Thankfully we didn't get much of an attack this year, as it got cold up here early. These are those big Asian beetle ones that bite and stink. All I can think of is to throw some cloves, cinnamon sticks, or lavender buds in your vacuum to hide the smell. And then empty every time you vacuum.
Jana |
| willowtreecreek |
Posted - Oct 19 2006 : 08:18:48 AM
They are actually lady asian beetles not lay bugs! My mom and dad run a B&B in lovingston VA and she saidthey are awful right now!
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowtreecreek.com |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 11:29:17 PM
Cristine ... welcome .. and oh my goooooooooooodnesssssssss .. if i could find a 'commecial use' for these 'not-so-ladylike-bugs' .. i'd be RICH! we have KA-JILLIONS of them!
tomorrow, i am going to get a bunch of black fabric and make curtains for all the 'sunny' windows! (it's going to look like a war black-out zone!) but i did read that they like 'light colored' walls .. and certainly those sunny windows! i'll let you know if this works!
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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| bramble |
Posted - Oct 18 2006 : 10:40:37 AM
Look under the Garden Gate forum, there seems to be quite a few of you with this problem! Welcome to MJF by the way!
with a happy heart |
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