Ladybugs start migration inside homes

While the insect life outdoors is winding down with the close of the growing season, insects inside are taking on a life of their own.

If you live in a home that leaves a little to be desired in the way of airtightness, you know the tiny nooks and crannies around windows and doors become freeways for lady beetles this time of year. If your house is airtight, you’ve likely noticed hundreds, possibly thousands, of the insects scouting around the exterior of your home or outbuildings for an entryway. Perhaps you’ve seen the beetles, commonly known as ladybugs, gather on the windows of your shed or garage.

Technically called multicolored Asian lady beetles, these insects are seen in shades of red, orange, yellow or brown, and may have no spots or as many as 19. Some people call these beneficial bugs “Halloween lady beetles” because they seem to appear around the fall holiday.

According to Clay Kirby, an entomologist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, lady beetles do no harm in the home. For some, however, they can become a nuisance. Lady beetles overwinter in the adult phase of their life cycle and, contrary to popular opinion, don’t multiply once they are in the house.

“They come in to hibernate,” Kirby explained. “They clump together, usually in corners of ceilings.”

If the lady beetle population inside your home becomes intolerable, you can trap them in jars, or sweep or vacuum them up and release them outside. This task is best undertaken on a warm day, when the insects can maneuver easily and find a winter hiding spot in the yard or garden.

“The colder it is, the less mobile they are in large numbers. If it’s cold outside, wait for a warmer day,” Kirby suggested.

Some people swear the same beetles find their way back into the house, but Kirby said that most likely a bunch of new beetles replaces those that have been exiled outdoors. Beetles seeking the warmth and shelter of your home also can be trapped in jars and released into a box lined with tissue paper and stored for the winter in an unheated room, shed or garage. In spring they can be released to the outside.

“Lady beetles are great predators of aphids and other soft-shelled insects,” Kirby said.

Historically, the species was released for biological control of aphids on agricultural crops in the southern United States, but since 1981 there has been a self-sustaining population that has slowly migrated north. This species is found most commonly in orchards and forests. Preying upon insect pests of maple, walnut, willow and oak, the multicolored Asian lady beetle may live up to three years.

Aided by an abundant food source and few natural competitors, this particular lady beetle has enjoyed rapid introduction into the northern United States. Entomologists believe that large populations will soon decrease as natural enemies emerge. Until then, homeowners can reduce the number of beetles entering homes in fall by sealing cracks with a silicone or silicone latex caulking compound. Placing weather stripping around doors and replacing torn screens or damaged doors also may limit the number of bugs that gain entry.

Your questions

Q: I had an incredible squash crop and harvested most of it before frost. Some were left on the vine until after a frost or two. Is this going affect how well the squashes store? T.M., Lincolnville

A: Squashes hit by frost often taste sweeter than those harvested before a frost, but the trade-off is a shorter storage life. Winter squash should be harvested when the skin has thickened and is not pierced by the pressure of your fingernail. Squash should be harvested with about 3 inches of stem, and should always be handled by the fruit, not the stem.

Never wash squash; brush the soil off with your hand. Fruits that show unblemished skin should be cured at room temperature for 10 days. Properly cured squash may last for several months in a dry, well-ventilated place at about 55 degrees.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville, ME 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@ctel.net. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.