The Insect Invasion

    Three weeks ago, Sarah Beth Moore’s room in Hart College was calm. This was before the invasion.
    Moore, freshman from Russellville, Ky., said it started with a few. Then it got worse, and soon the creatures were crawling on the ceiling, desks and even her clothes.
    “The other day I was sitting on my computer and one just landed on the screen of my laptop,” Moore said.
    Luckily, these creatures are only ladybugs.
    Moore said she and her roommate were puzzled by how the beetles got into their room.
    “They only come out at night,” Moore said. “They’re calm during the day. They sit in one spot then at night they start crawling around.”
    Moore said she has seen 15 in her room and counting.
    Other students have reported the beetles in their rooms as well, while a room down the hall reported wasps, Moore said. She said she would rather have ladybugs. Moore and her roommate simply swipe the beetles off.
    “I don’t think I could deal with wasps,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”
    David White, professor of biology and director of Hancock Biological Station, said he is dealing with the invasion as well.
    “We’ve got two things flying around our rooms right now – ladybugs and wasps,” White said. “The wasps you might want to stay away from but the ladybugs aren’t going to hurt anybody.”
    White said this swarm of ladybugs is common.
    “For most of these species (of ladybugs), they were larvae up until a few weeks ago, and they’ve pupated and come out as adults,” he said. “Now they’re going to try to find somewhere (to live) for the winter. A lot of them go under tree bark and things like that.”
    While their behavior is usual, White said more beetles seem to have appeared this year.
     “Usually there aren’t so many they cover your car and cover your buildings,” White said. “They (also) love telephone poles, I’m not sure why. They will be around a few weeks and most will hide – those who don’t get eaten by birds. They’ll find some place over winter and next spring they’ll come out, mate, lay eggs and start the cycle once again.”
    White said some cultures consider ladybugs lucky, especially if one lands on you.
    “There is a lot of lore that goes along with these,” White said. “(One suggests) the number of lady beetles will determine how cold a winter will be. They’re old folk tales; I don’t think any are true. There are probably (more) associated with ladybugs than anything.”
    Other myths say it is bad luck to step on a ladybug, White said.
    A press release from the National Pest Management Association recommends not squishing the beetles because they often secrete a yellow liquid when disturbed and release an odor just before they die.
    For those facing ladybug woes, White suggests collecting the beetles in a bag and throwing them outside.
    Said White: “Personally, (I think) they’ve got as much of a right to be here as we do.”
    Contact Kyle at charlotte.kyle@murraystate.edu.