In Quebec, there are more than 90 different species of ladybugs: the ocellated ladybug, the seven-point ladybug, the smudged ladybug, etc., and the Asian ladybug.
As the name suggests, the Asian ladybug comes from Asia. It has been introduced to North America to rid us of the aphids and other insect pests it feeds on.
The Asian ladybug is not really harmful to us: it does not transmit any disease, it does not sting, it does not eat our woods, it does not devour our plants. However, its presence in large numbers in our homes can be disturbing.
The Asian ladybug is considered an invasive species in Europe. Very resistant to cold, little or not pre-dated or parasitized for the moment, adapted to many environments (grasses, deciduous or resinous trees …), it has acclimatized well and multiplies very quickly. Worse, it competes with native ladybug species and even feeds on their larvae. The Asian ladybug is very voracious.
What does the Asian ladybug look like? What is its life cycle? How can we prevent it from invading us in large numbers? How do I get rid of it?
So many questions that Animal Alert provides professional answers to!
| Nom français | Coccinelle asiatique multicolore |
| Nom anglais | Multicolored asian lady beetle |
| Nom latin | Harmonia axyridis |
Description of the Asian ladybug
Still known as “The Beast for Goodness,” the Asian ladybug is an insect of the order of beetles and the family of co-beetles.
It is between 6 and 10 mm in size. It has elytra that cover a pair of membrane wings. Its color? Yellow to red through all shades of orange, the distinct characteristic of the Asian ladybug being to have two white “M”-shaped spots behind its head.
She’s got a rounded back. His body is covered with about twenty small slices of black dots. They whiten as the ladybug ages.
The larva’s body is adorned with thorns and tubers. It measures from 1.9 to 2, 1 mm. At maturity, it will reach a size of 7.5 to 10.7 mm. It has 5 abdominal segments on which there are two parallel orange dorsal stripes.
The larva of the Asian ladybug has a light grey complexion, it becomes over time, black speckled with yellow, orange or red.
Reproduction and life cycle of the Asian ladybug
The life cycle of this charming insect consists of four steps.
Egg laying
After mating, the female Asian ladybug lays about 100 eggs near a colony of aphids. She puts them on leaves.
The eggs laid are pale yellow and oval at the start; and they are 1.2 millimetres long. Eventually, they turn dark yellow.
The hatching of eggs and its transformation into larvae
Eggs hatch 72 to 96 hours after laying. Thus, the larvae appear.
The transformation of larvae into nymphs
The larva changes three times in 15 days. When it matures, it positions the tip of its abdomen under a leaf and undergoes a transformation into a nymph.
The transformation of nymphs into adults
A week later, the nymph becomes an adult.
There may be three generations of Asian ladybugs per month in a year. The development time of the insect depends on the quality and quantity of food it has at its disposal.
- Asian ladybugs do not reproduce or grow indoors.
- Their lifespan is two to three years if the temperature conditions are suitable.
- Ladybugs fly by flapping their wings 85 times a second.
Appeler René Gélinas Votre exterminateur local, Expérience et intégrité dans la gestion parasitaire
Tel 514 830 2819
Hantavirus, definition and mode of transmission
Hantavirus is a severe lung syndrome caused by a virus. It is secreted in the urine, feces and saliva of infected animals. Most often these are rodents. When humans come into direct or indirect contact with these secretions, the virus is transmitted to them. Ditto when they are bitten by infected rodents.
However, the virus is not transmitted from human to human, only from animal to human. This type of disease is called zoonoses because they can only be transmitted to humans through an animal. It has been found that domestic animals (apart from the domestic rat) and livestock cannot contract hantavirus so there is every reason to believe that only rodents can carry it.
Symptoms of hantavirus
Being a lung disease, one of the characteristic symptoms of hantavirus is difficulty breathing. At the beginning of the disease, the infected person begins to feel fever, chills, headache and muscle pain.
It is about two weeks after the appearance of the first symptoms that they are usually accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath. Nevertheless, this last manifestation of the disease can be observed after two days as after six weeks; it depends on the organism of the individual.
Hantavirus can also lead to kidney disease or infection. And although they are rare and very few people are prone to them, there is currently no treatment to combat these ailments. It is therefore better to be careful not to contract them.
Is an invasion of ladybugs really harmful?
The Asian ladybug is an insect of great use: it is found on plants, in gardens and vegetable gardens where it feeds on many insect pests and more than 50 species of aphids. “She can eat 500 a day,” says Marjolaine Giroux, an entomologist at the Montreal insectarium.
The Asian ladybug does not harm us in any way: it does not feed on our woods or our plants. It does not sting us. It does not transmit any disease to us.
But Asian ladybugs enter our homes in order to protect themselves from the cold of winter or because they are attracted by intense lights. They then clump together on ceilings, walls, around doors and windows. It is then that their presence in large numbers disturbs.
5 Exterminator Tips
It is not difficult to get rid of an excess of ladybugs. It is enough to prevent them from penetrating our homes:
- Install weatherstripping in your building. This will send them back outside,
- Put thin mosquito nets and place fences at the windows and doors,
- Close all cracks and crevices,
- Check if your roofs or attic walls have openings. If so, plug them,
- Vacuum regularly. If you find Asian ladybugs in the vacuum cleaner bag, throw them away from home.
Capture of beasts to God by your professional exterminator
It is forbidden to eradicate the Asian ladybug because it is one of the protected species. They can just be captured and moved.
The professional exterminator, who specializes in parasitic management, will do so in two stages:
The location of Asian ladybug shelters.
The exterminator will examine your home and its surroundings in search of Asian ladybug shelters: ceilings, attics, roofs, windows, doors, plants that are around your home, interior walls.
Catching Asian ladybugs
As soon as the exterminator has located the so-called shelters, he captures the Asian ladybugs, drops them in a closing bag, and releases them away from home.
But beware of exterminators, they are not all specialized in the location and capture of Asian ladybugs.
Your professional exterminator on the North Shore
- His permit from the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development with the words CD5: Extermination,
- Its certified technicians certified professional in extermination and parasitic management,
- His working method: first of all, he quickly presents himself at the scene of the infestation. Then, he finds the refuges of Asian ladybugs, gets rid of them, and informs you about the precautions to be taken to avoid an infestation of Asian ladybugs in the future.
- He uses unidentified vehicles and knows how to keep a low profile in all his interventions.
- It offers you a written guarantee on the effectiveness of its treatment against the pests it treats.
And you? Have Asian ladybugs ever invaded you? How did you react? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
