Ladybugs in Michiana

When Michiana is dealing with the 70s and 80s usually we are seeing all kinds of summer bugs, but now that we’re headed into fall, a new bug seems to be popping up all over the place. That’ll be the lady bug, which you may have noticed on your house, on your car, just about anywhere this weekend. It feels like there is an abundance of ladybugs when in reality, there’s just about as many as there were in years prior, we just always forget about them by the time the next year rolls around. Ladybugs usually try to find warm places for the winter when they hibernate, but on warm, sunny days like we have been seeing in Michiana, they will come out in droves to soak up the sun, just like us.

Most likely the bugs that are getting around your house and windows are the Asian lady beetles because they can't usually hibernate like a ladybug can, they need a warm place to stay over the winter. Both do eat destructive garden pests, but that and their looks are about the only similarities. Ladybugs don’t usually gather around houses when the weather starts getting colder, lady beetles are usually the culprit there. You can usually tell the difference between a ladybug and lady beetle by looking at their heads. If the head is mostly black with white “cheeks”, it’s a ladybug, if the head area is white with a “w” marking on it then it is likely a lady beetle. Lady beetles also usually have an orangish tint to them. Asian lady beetles are fairly harmless, they can bite and smell bad when threatened, but they are considered an invasive pest so if you see them in your house, remove them with a vacuum.